BACKGROUND: Although organ donors are rigorously tested, occasionally an unidentified donor disease can be transmitted to the recipient. These conditions include malignancies, infections, and, rarely, congenital diseases.

CASE REPORT: We report a case of an inadvertent transmission of polycystic kidney disease from a 40-year-old trauma victim to both kidney recipients. There was no family history of renal disease in the donor. The renal allografts gradually increased in size with the development of cysts and functioned for 10 and 14 years.

CONCLUSIONS: We report a case of inadvertent transmission of polycystic kidney disease from an unsuspecting deceased donor to both the recipients through renal allograft. Both the grafts lasted long enough to suggest that polycystic kidneys from deceased donors can be considered for transplantation.

Keywords: Allografts - ultrasonography, Kidney Failure, Chronic - surgery, Kidney Transplantation - adverse effects, Polycystic Kidney Diseases - etiology, young adult