Trends of skin diseases in organ-transplant recipients transplanted between 1966 and 2006: a cohort study with follow-up between 1994 and 2006.
BACKGROUND
Skin diseases are frequently observed in organ-transplant recipients (OTRs).


OBJECTIVE
To count the registered skin diseases in all 2136 OTRs who had been transplanted in a single centre between 1966 and 2006 and to calculate their relative contribution in relation to the number of years after transplantation.


METHODS
All registered skin diseases which were entered into a computerized system between 1994 and 2006 at the Leiden University Medical Centre were counted and their relative contributions were calculated.


RESULTS
Between 1994 and 2006, 2408 skin diseases were registered in 801 of 1768 OTRs who were at risk during this specific time period. The most commonly recorded diagnoses were skin infections (24.0%) followed by benign skin tumours (23.3%) and malignant skin lesions (18.2%). The relative contributions of infectious and inflammatory disorders decreased with time after transplantation, whereas the contribution of squamous cell carcinomas strongly increased with time.


CONCLUSIONS
This study gives a systematic overview of the high burden of skin diseases in OTRs. The relative distributions of skin diseases importantly changed with time after transplantation, with squamous cell carcinoma contributing most to the increasing burden of skin diseases with increasing time after transplantation.
Department of Dermatology, Nephrology, Leiden University Medical Centre, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, the Netherlands. h.c.wisgerhof@lumc.nl
H C
HC
Wisgerhof
J R J
JR
Edelbroek
J W
JW
de Fijter
M C W
MC
Feltkamp
R
R
Willemze
J N
JN
Bouwes Bavinck
D015331:Cohort Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D019737:Transplants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents