Acute rejection of a cryopreserved arterial homograft.

The use of arterial homograft is indicated especially in case of prosthetic graft infections after bypass surgery. We report the case of a patient who experienced the loss of a cryopreserved femoral artery caused by an acute rejection. This homograft had to be explanted 1 month after implantation because of an acute aneurysmal deterioration. Histology of the explanted artery showed inflammatory cells infiltration, pseudoaneurysms and necrosis. It was then replaced by a second cryopreserved femoral artery which is currently well tolerated. This first case of acute rejection of a cryopreserved artery, to our knowledge, raises again the question of the immunogenicity of cryopreserved homografts. The case report is followed by a brief discussion.