Dermatoses in renal transplant recipients

Dermatosis en pacientes trasplantados renales

Introduction: The chronic use of immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) favors the appearance of cutaneous lesions. Members of the multidisciplinary team should have knowledge of these diseases in order for them to be able to provide timely treatment.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of cutaneous diseases among adult RTRs seen in the outpatient clinic of Hospital de San José de Bogotá, Colombia, between July 2015 and July 2016.
Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study including 33 adult RTRs.
Results: The mean age was 49.7 years (SD 11.6), 23 were females (69.7%), with a 4-year median time after transplant (IQR p:25:2 years - p:75:7 years). All patients were receiving maintenance immunosuppressive therapy. The prevalence of skin lesions was 81.8% (n = 27); the most prevalent were inflammatory and other type disorders (51.5%), followed by infections (33.3%). Three suspicious malignancy lesions were identified (9.0%). Biopsies demonstrated two basal-cell carcinomas (n = 2) and one infiltrating squamous cell carcinoma (n = 1).
Conclusion: The frequency of cutaneous lesions is high in RTRs. This study design does not allow establishing a cause-effect relationship between the type of immunosuppressive regimen received and the appearance of skin lesions. The importance of periodic dermatologic examinations of RTRs to detect skin and mucosal membrane disorders affecting the quality of life is emphasized.

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