Dermatologic manifestations of patients on chronic

Dermatologic diseases are common in patient with chronic renal failure, (CRF), being managed with hemodialysis. This study was done to determine the different patterns of skin involvement in these patients.

We examined 215 patients on hemodialysis in four hemodialysis centers in Tehran in 2006.

Of 215 patients, (122 men and 93 women), with the mean age of 56.4±16.2 years (range, 17 to 86 years), 202 (94%) had at least one type of dermatologic disease. They had been on dialysis from at least 1 year to 27 years. The most common dermatologic disease was xerosis, (59.1%). There was a significant relation between the patients’ age and solar elastosis (P=0.01), splinter hemorrhage (P=0.018), and longitudinal ridging (P=0.01). Also, the relationship between the duration of hemodialysis and yellow discoloration, xerosis, and koilonychia were statistically significant, (P=0.047, 0.019, and 0.01, respectively). A significant association was found between the patients’ job and folicullitis (p= 0.01), and between the underlying disease resulting in CRF and folliculitis or furunculosis (P= 0.039).

As dermatologic diseases are very common in patients with chronic renal failure, referral to a dermatologist for optimal management will improve the quality of life in these patients.