Skin infections in renal transplant recipients

Background: Skin infection is a frequent complication in renal transplant r ecipients. The purpose of the study was to acquire long-term, period-specif ic incidence data on the most commonly occurring skin infections in renal t ransplant recipients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed using medical records of 13 4 patients, covering a period between 10 and 29 yr. Cumulative incidences o f the skin infections were calculated by counting the infections per patien t for different time periods and were expressed as a percentage of the tota l group of patients. The incidence of the skin infections was determined fo r different post-transplant time periods. Results: A total of 340 skin infections in 105 out of 134 patients were rec orded. Some infections, such as candidal infection, herpes simplex infectio n, and impetigo were most prominent during the first posttransplant year an d did not affect many new patients after the first year. Other infections, such as dermatomycoses, herpes tester, and folliculitis were also affecting a substantial number of new patients after the first post-transplant year. Conclusions: This study confirms that skin infections among renal transplan t recipients are very common and that the spectrum of skin infections diffe rs according to the post-transplant time period.