title: Edema, Hyperpigmentation, Induration: 3 Skin Signs Heralding Danger in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis.
abstract: Skin changes are common in patients on dialysis. This study focused on putative associations of specific skin findings with comorbidities and mortality.We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 508 patients on maintenance hemodialysis therapy in 7 centers in the German State of North Rhine Westphalia. Data had been collected by interview, from patient files, and from targeted physical examination in an earlier prospective study screening hemodialysis patients for the presence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. While on dialysis, patients' extremities had been examined for any of the following: edematous skin at the lower extremities, hyperpigmentation, induration, and xerosis cutis. Our present data analyses focused on associated mortality and comorbidities.Five hundred eight patients (median age 71 years, range 20.0-95.9; n = 292 men) had agreed to participate in the initial study: 48% (n = 243) were diabetics and 46% (n = 232) had been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. On examination, 86% of patients (n = 439) presented with at least 1 of the prespecified skin changes. Skin edema (n = 89; 18%), hyperpigmentation (n = 74; 15%), and induration (n = 9; 2%) were independently associated with increased mortality over 24 months (P < 0.002, P < 0.030, and P < 0.020, respectively).In our study, prespecified skin changes indicated an increased mortality risk in patients on chronic hemodialysis. Routinely assessing the skin of dialysis patients represents a simple, reliable, and cost effective means of identifying those at greatest risk.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Nephrology (SB, SW, AB, AK, AM), Infectiology (OW), and Dermatology (AK), University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Medical Statistics Hamm (TK), Hamm, Germany; and Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery (GK), University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Witzke
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Körber
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bienholz
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kottmann
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kribben
authors.forename: Gernot
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D017495:Hyperpigmentation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D054989:Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult