title: Risk of lymphoma in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide accurate estimates of the risk of lymphoma in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of observed and expected incidence of cancer in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis.
  
  
  METHODS
  976 patients aged 4 to 97 years with no clinical signs of coeliac disease who were admitted to hospital between 1963 and 1983.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from Swedish Cancer Registry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence and type of cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  106 cancers were diagnosed in 94 patients. The relative risk was 1.4 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 1.7) in male patients and 1.2 (0.8 to 1.7) in female patients. When the individual cancer sites were analysed a significant risk was found only for malignant, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in male patients, with a relative risk of 5.4 (2.2 to 11.1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk of lymphoma is greater in male patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, and this calls for increased surveillance in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sigurgeirsson
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Agnarsson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lindelöf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003874:Dermatitis Herpetiformis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors