Isolated Superior Mesenteric Vein Tumor Thrombus in a Patient with Gastric Cancer.

Tumor thrombus in the portal vein can rarely originate from gastric cancer via hematogenous spread, with only few case reports published in the literature. Isolated superior mesenteric vein tumor thrombus in gastric cancer has not been previously reported. A 61-year-old male patient who had undergone distal gastrectomy and gastroenterostomy for gastric ulcer 20 years ago was diagnosed with an obstructive tumor originating from the gastroenterostomy anastomosis site on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy that was performed for complaints of fatigue, oral feeding problems, and anemia. The PET-CT imaging revealed a hypermetabolic mass in the gastroenterostomy region along with hypermetabolic suspected tumor thrombus in the superior mesenteric vein (SMV). A suspected tumor thrombus with contrast enhancement that completely obstructed the SMV was detected on triphasic abdominal computed tomography. Decision for surgery was made due to gastric tumor obstruction. Firstly, lesions suspected with tumor thrombus were extirpated from the SMV and sent to frozen section. Then, it was completely recanalized. A locally advanced tumor originating from the gastroenterostomy anastomosis site that totally obliterated the lumen was observed on surgical exploration. After proving tumor thrombus by frozen, near-total gastrectomy was performed for palliative purposes. Histopathologic examination of the specimen showed gastric invasive adenocarcinoma and tumor thrombi in the SMV (T4N2M1). The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy, and he is at his 22nd-month follow-up with extensive hepatic metastases and intra-abdominal disease. It should be kept in mind that gastric cancer may lead to portal vein tumor thrombus or that it may rarely be associated with an isolated SMV tumor thrombus, both of which are associated with poor prognosis.

Primary splenic angiosarcoma diagnosed after splenectomy for spontaneous rupture.

Primary splenic angiosarcoma is a rare abnormality and has a bad prognosis. It has unknown pathogenesis. This abnormality is usually presented by splenic rupture. Surgery is the most promising treatm Surgery is the most accepted and accurate method for diagnosis and treatment. Surgery before rupture increases the life expectancy. A 65-year-old woman who presented to the emergency room with abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and anemia was found to have a splenic mass and massive ascites. After getting a hemorrhagic sample from the abdomen, the patient was operated with splenic rupture prediagnosis. The spleen material was reported as splenic angiosarcoma. The staging 18F-FDG-Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography did not show any metastasis. Five months later, paclitaxel treatment was initiated upon liver and bone metastasis, and the treatment still continues. Splenic angiosarcoma has a place among splenic parenchymal lesions. The splenectomy material names the diagnosis. Pathologic examination of splenectomy material is revealed certain diagnosis.

Vaginal reconstruction with the modified rectosigmoid colon: surgical technique, long-term results and sexual outcomes.

Although vaginal reconstructions with intestinal segments require particularly complex surgical procedures, this technique has become popular with respect to fairly good functional and esthetic outcomes. This study describes cases of vaginal reconstruction performed using a modified rectosigmoid colon held in an ischemic state in order to reduce secretion and denervated in order to prevent defecation problems. Vaginal reconstructions with rectosigmoid colon were performed on 43 patients. In this retrospective study, 34 patients had Müllerian agenesis, while nine had undergone male to female sex reassignment surgery in which adequate vaginal depth had not been achieved. A rectosigmoid colon with its vascular pedicle was used and left in an ischemic state. All nerve structures within the pedicle were excised intraoperatively. Follow-up period was between 12 and 60 months. Partial necrosis occurred in one patient which was reconstructed with local flap. Hematoma developed beneath the skin incision in two cases, but resolved with conservative treatment. A good esthetic outcome was achieved in all cases. Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in 15 patients. Fourteen out of 15 patients scored above 26.5 on this scale and were determined as having no sexual dysfunction (FSFI score ≥26.5). In conclusion, vaginal reconstruction with denervated rectosigmoid held in an ischemic state appears to be a reasonable option among several available reconstruction techniques.

The impact of method on kidney graft and patient survival in kidney-pancreas transplantations for type I diabetes mellitus.

Patients who develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) associated with Type I Diabetes Mellitus may receive kidney alone (KA) transplantation, simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation, or a pancreas after kidney (PAK) transplantation. The goal of this study is to examine the long-term impact of pancreas transplantation on kidney graft and patient survival rates. A total of 85 transplantation cases, consisting of 30 that received living donor KA, 21 that received SPK, and 34 that received PAK, from 2003-2010 at Akdeniz University Organ Transplantation Institute were retrospectively screened. There was a graft loss in 4 cases from the KA group, and in 1 case from each of the SPK and PAK groups. The five-year kidney graft survival rates were 86.7% in KA, 95.2% in SPK, and 97.1% in PAK. There was a single patient loss in both KA and SPK. The kidney survival percentages were higher in SPK and PAK groups compared to the KA group. Therefore, SPK should be the primary preference in these patients; however, for the cases that have a living donor, pancreas transplantation should be considered after kidney transplantation, or the patients can be followed-up on with close blood sugar control.

Transvaginal route for kidney extraction in laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare conventional laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy with transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery-assisted living-donor nephrectomy in terms of feasibility and reproducibility. METHODS: A total of 115 consecutive female patients who underwent laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy (n=70) or transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery-assisted living-donor nephrectomy (n=45) were included and compared in terms of operative characteristics, as well as donor and recipient outcomes. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed between the laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy and transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery-assisted living-donor nephrectomy groups in terms of mean duration of warm and cold ischemia, operation time, length of hospital stay, arterial anastomoses, visual analog scale pain scores, serum creatinine levels, and receiver outcomes, whereas a significantly higher number of venous anastomoses was noted in the laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy group than in the transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery-assisted living-donor nephrectomy group (P=.029). CONCLUSIONS: Transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery-assisted living-donor nephrectomy seems to be a feasible and reproducible alternative to conventional laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy in female donors provided the viability of the vagina as an organ retrieval route.

Laparoendoscopic single-site donor nephrectomy: a single-center initial experience.

BACKGROUND: This study presents our initial experience with laparoendoscopic single-site donor nephrectomy. Ten patients (8 females, 2 males; mean age 45.3 ± 13.2 years) underwent LESS-DN. MATERIAL/METHODS: Transumbilical laparoscopic donor nephrectomy was performed using an SILS™ port. Standard laparoscopic instruments and a 30-degree angled camera were used during the surgery. We evaluated the following parameters: warm and cold ischemia time, duration of the operation, amount of blood loss during the operation, duration of hospitalization, creatinine level, and visual analogue scale score for pain at discharge. RESULTS: The means for duration of operation, warm ischemia time, and duration of hospitalization were 140 min, 194 s, and 1.4 days, respectively. Intraoperative and/or postoperative complications were not observed. Low pain score and cosmetic advantage were remarkable. All recipients had functional grafts. The results of our initial experience with LESS-DN appeared to be positive. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies on the LESS-DN technique with larger series conducted in different centers are needed.

Desmoid tumor in puerperium period: a case report.

Desmoid tumors (DTs) are rare tumors classified as deep fibromatoses taking origin from fascial or musculoaponeurotic structures. With pregnancy and surgical scars considered in the etiology, most anterior abdominal wall DTs occur in women in their reproductive years, especially during a pregnancy or post-partum. Herein, we present development of DT in a female patient in the post-partum period following cesarean delivery, which manifested itself with a growing mass in anterior abdominal wall. In our case, possibility of hematoma most probably located beneath the fascia was considered initially as a complication of cesarean section based on ultrasonographic examination and location of the lesion, while upon lack of either spontaneous regression with eventual diminish in size or resolve of symptoms within six weeks, further investigation via MRI and tru-cut biopsy revealed the diagnosis of abdominal DT. Radical tumor extirpation with resection of an adequate margin of surrounding normal tissue was applied, and the post-operative period was uneventful.

Concurrent unilateral or bilateral native nephrectomy in kidney transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to present results of patients who have undergone renal transplantation concurrent with bilateral or unilateral native nephrectomy, with a special focus on polycystic kidney disease (PKD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We presented the outcome of renal transplantation patients who have undergone native nephrectomy unilaterally (n=38) and bilaterally (n=125) and compared the results of patients with PKD and other nephrectomy indications. RESULTS: Overall graft survival in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th years were 93%, 90%, and 89%, respectively, in transplantation with concomitant nephrectomy patients. Overall patient survival in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th years were 97%, 94%, and 94%, respectively. Overall surgical complications rate was 17.7% and medical complication rate was 19%. Patients with PKD had more frequent complications. CONCLUSIONS: Despite additional surgery, the long-term results of patients with complications were not affected negatively by early diagnosis and treatment. We believe that native nephrectomy concurrent with transplantation can be successfully performed when indicated in selected patients at experienced centers.

Gastric collision tumor: Case report of a rare adenocarcinoma and a typical carcinoid tumor.

We report a case with features of gastric adenocarcinoma colliding with a typical carcinoid component. A 51-year-old female was admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine with complaints of epigastric pain. On physical examination of the patient there was significant epigastric tenderness and the CA19-9 level was higher than the normal titer value. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed an ulcerated polypoid mass located on the cardiac region of the stomach. Pathological and immunohistochemical findings diagnosed as a collision tumor comprising both adenocarcinoma and carcinoid tumor. Metastasis of adenocarcinoma was found in 7 perigastric lymph nodes, while metastasis of the carcinoid was not detected. The admixture of neoplastic endocrine and nonendocrine cells, have been found infrequently in gastric tumors. The mixed tumors can be further classified into composite tumors that show an admixture of two histological components with histological transitions and collision tumors where the two components are not intermixed In general it is not easy to morphologically distinguish a collision tumor, from composite tumor. Microscopically, hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections from two different areas of the mass revealed two different types of tumor; an intestinal type adenocarcinoma and a carcinoid tumor. We report a case with features of adenocarcinoma colliding with a typical carcinoid component, along with a review of the literature.

A randomized, open-label study of sirolimus versus cyclosporine in primary de novo renal allograft recipients.

BACKGROUND: Despite a decreased incidence of acute rejection and early renal allograft loss due to calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) in transplant recipients, nephrotoxicity associated with long-term CNI use remains an important issue. This study evaluated whether a CNI-free regimen, including sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, corticosteroids, and anti-interleukin-2 receptor antibody induction, results in improved long-term renal function. METHODS: This open-label, randomized, parallel group, comparative study in primary de novo renal transplant recipients was planned for 48 months but terminated early because of high acute rejection rates in the sirolimus arm. RESULTS: Enrollment was stopped after ≈12 months, with 475 transplanted patients randomized (2:1) to sirolimus (n=314) or cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment (n=161). Mean length of follow-up after transplantation was 190 days; this article focuses on available data through 6 months. Mean±SD on-therapy Nankivell-calculated glomerular filtration rate was not significantly different between the sirolimus (69.1±18.7 mL/min) and CsA (66.0±15.2 mL/min) treatment groups. Occurrence and length of delayed graft function was not significantly different between groups. Patients in the sirolimus group experienced numerically lower survival rates (96.9% vs. 99.4%; P=0.14), with nine deaths reported with sirolimus and one with CsA; higher rates of biopsy-confirmed acute rejection (21.4% vs. 6.1%; P<0.001); and higher rates of discontinuations due to adverse events (17.4% vs. 6.8%; P=0.001). CONCLUSION: A sirolimus-based, CNI-free immunosuppressive regimen, when used with mycophenolate mofetil, corticosteroids, and anti-interleukin-2 receptor antibody induction, was associated with high rates of biopsy-confirmed acute rejection compared with CsA-based immunosuppression and is not recommended.

Surgical correction of vesico-ureteric reflux for recurrent febrile urinary tract infections after kidney transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of anti-reflux revision surgery in patients diagnosed with at least a grade 3 reflux at voiding cysto-urethrography in patients with recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) after renal transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified 60 patients with a diagnosis of recurrent febrile UTI and post-transplantation vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR) who underwent open surgical correction of reflux. Patient characteristics, including the aetiology of end-stage renal disease, age, time to VUR correction, type of VUR correction, serum creatinine levels, and number of UTIs before and after correction were documented. RESULTS: The median (range) age of the patients was 31.5 (9-65) years. A total of 30 patients underwent uretero-ureterostomy or pyelo-ureterostomy and 30 underwent extravesical or intravesical ureteric reimplantation. The median (range) creatinine levels before and after correction were 1.5 (0.8-4.5) mg/dL and 1.3 (0.7-4.5) mg/dL (P<0.05), respectively. The median (range) number of UTI episodes reported before the correction surgery was 4 (3-12), whereas number of UTI episodes after the surgery was 1 (0-12), the difference being significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Open surgical correction of post-transplant VUR is an effective and safe method of decreasing UTI episodes and stopping reflux. Surgical correction of reflux may prolong the life of the renal graft.

Total laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in situs inversus totalis: a case report.

Situs inversus totalis is a rare anomaly characterized by the total inversion of all abdominal and thoracic organs. For the first time, we report a case of a donor nephrectomy in a patient with situs inversus totalis, completed with a full laparoscopic approach. At the time of this writing, the donor and the recipient are doing well after 6 month's follow-up. Our experience shows that patients with situs inversus totalis may be eligible candidates for laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, provided that detailed preoperative imaging studies as well as precise preoperative planning are performed before the transplant.

Pancreas survival in simultaneous pancreas-kidney and pancreas-after-kidney transplantations: a five-year follow-up report.

BACKGROUND: Pancreas transplantation methods, such as simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation and pancreas-after-kidney (PAK) transplantation, have become the most important treatments for patients with type-1 diabetes mellitus (DM)-related end-stage renal diseases (ESRD). The purpose of the study was to compare the clinical results of the pancreas graft in patients after SPK and PAK transplantations and to present the findings of our 5-year follow-up. MATERIAL/METHOD: A total of 55 patients who had kidney and pancreas transplantation between February 2003 and December 2010 were included in the study. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the timing of the pancreas transplantation: SPK (n=21) and PAK (n=34). RESULT: The patients in the SPK group consisted of 13 males and 8 females, with a mean age of 33.6±6.8 years; whereas 25 males and 9 females formed the PAK group, with a mean age of 32.0±6.0 years. In the early postoperative period, the SPK group had 3 patients with vascular thrombosis (2 venous, 1 arterial) and the PAK group had 7 patients with thrombosis (4 venous, 3 arterial) (p=0.319). At the end of the 5-year follow-up, the patient, kidney and pancreas survival rates in the SPK group were 95.2%, 95.2%, and 61.9% respectively, and the corresponding values in the PAK group were 97%, 91.2%, 61.8% (p=0.382, p=0.504, p=0.927). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that PAK is just as effective as SPK to prevent the destructive effects of DM when the waiting time for SPK is long and a potential live donor is present.

Cystic pancreatic lymphangioma.

Lymphangioma of the pancreas is a rare benign tumor of lymphatic origin. Retroperitoneal lymphangiomas account for 1% of all lymphangiomas. Herein, we report a case of cystic pancreatic lymphangioma diagnosed in 34 year-old female patient who was hospitalized for a slight pain in the epigastrium and vomiting. Radiological imaging revealed a large multiloculated cystic abdominal mass with enhancing septations involving the upper retroperitoneum. During the laparoscopic surgery, a well circumscribed polycystic tumor was completely excised preserving the pancreatic duct. The patient made a complete recovery and is disease-free 12 months postoperatively.

Hepatic artery reconstruction with gonodal vein interposition: First case in patients receiving liver from the living donor.

BACKGROUND: Technical problems such as graft and vascular size are more common in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) than in deceased donor liver transplantation. It is usually possible to get enough length of vessels on the graft, but the opposite situation is devastating. Finding the suitable vessel graft is life-saving in those situations. In this paper we present a case of gonodal vein interpositioning for hepatic artery reconstruction in an LDLT recipient. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such case to be reported in the literature. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old man with cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis B underwent LDLT. Within minutes after completing the anastomosis, the artery was thrombosed. Disrupting the anastomosis showed subintimal dissection of the recipient right hepatic artery extending to the gastro-duodenal junction. A 4 cm segment of gonodal vein, which matched the diameter of the recipient hepatic artery, was used as a bridge. The patient's postoperative recovery was excellent and Doppler ultrasonography demonstrated sufficient hepatic arterial blood flow. At long-term follow-up (18(th) months), the patient's graft is still functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Gonodal vein interposition for hepatic artery reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation has not been previously reported. In light of the urgency of this situation, we believe it can be a life-saving reconstruction.

The impact of hepatitis C virus infection on long-term outcome in renal transplant patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hepatitis C virus infection on patient and graft survival and liver function in renal transplant patients. METHODS: 1811 renal transplant patients were included in this study. One hundred renal transplant patients (5.5%) were anti-hepatitis C virus-positive. We evaluated demographic, clinical, biochemical, and serological data of patients and compared patient and graft survivals between hepatitis C virus-positive and -negative renal transplant patients. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 35.7 months. One hundred (5.5%) patients were anti-hepatitis C virus-positive. There were no differences between anti-hepatitis C virus-positive and -negative renal transplant patients regarding age, etiology of renal disease, number of pre-transplant blood transfusions, and hepatitis B virus coinfection rate. Rate of graft loss in anti-hepatitis C virus-positive renal transplant patients was significantly higher than in anti-hepatitis C virus-negative patients (16.0% vs. 9.2%, p=0.026). Survival analysis revealed that patient survival was similar between anti-hepatitis C virus-positive and -negative renal transplant patients. Graft survival was lower in the anti-hepatitis C virus-positive group than in anti-hepatitis C virus-negative patients, especially after the fifth year of renal transplant (p<0.001). Thirty-three percent of anti-hepatitis C virus-positive patients were positive for hepatitis C virus RNA. Twenty-seven percent of anti-hepatitis C virus-positive patients had persistent alanine aminotransferase elevation. None of the patients developed cirrhosis during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that hepatitis C virus infection in renal transplant patients does not adversely affect patient survival. Long-term graft survival seems to be lower in hepatitis C virus-positive compared to hepatitis C virus-negative renal transplant patients. Nevertheless, renal transplant can be considered as a safe and effective treatment modality in anti-hepatitis C virus-positive patients with end-stage renal disease.

The effect of kidney diseases on survival in liver transplant patients.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LTx) is a life-saving procedure for patients with chronic end-stage liver disease or acute liver failure. It is well known that kidney diseases such as acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are highly prevalent in LTx patients. We aimed to assess the effect of kidney disease on survival in LTx patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we included 85 patients (mean age 43.7 ± 12.7, male/female 53/32) who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation between 2001 and 2009 and analyzed their medical records and laboratory results. The effect of renal dysfunction including CKD and AKI on survival in LTx patients was assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: Median duration of follow-up was 48.4 months (2.6-163 months). Before transplantation, eleven patients (12.9%) were diagnosed with CKD and nine (10.5%) with AKI. AKI developed in 17 patients (20%) in the early post-operative phase, among which five had pretransplant CKD. We found that the number of male patients and the number of red blood cell transfusions were statistically higher in LTx patients with AKI than in those without AKI (p < 0.05). Eight patients died in the follow-up period. Estimated survival rates of patients were 93.9, 92.7 and 90.8% at 1st, 3rd and 5th years, respectively. The survival rate of patients with pre-LTx CKD was worse than that of patients with normal kidney function (70.7 vs. 95.8% in the 3rd year, p = 0.043). We also found that the survival rate of patients with post-LTx AKI was lower than in patients with normal kidney function (66.7 vs. 96.6% in the 5th year, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that post-LTx AKI determined by age and pre-LTx CKD had a negative effect on survival of LTx patients. These patients should be followed up and carefully managed in the perioperative period with the aim of minimizing the kidney dysfunction.

Chyluria and delayed graft function in early posttransplant period in a renal transplant patient.

Chyluria mostly occurs because of the leakage of lymphatic fluid into the urinary system from the lymphatic system. The patient reported here with end-stage renal disease caused by the nephrotic syndrome underwent renal transplantation from a living donor. During the early posttransplant period, her daily urine output was 300 to 400 mL, and it was chylous. The only abnormality on physical examination was pretibial edema. On renal biopsy, there was no sign of glomerular disease, acute tubular necrosis, or rejection that could have caused delayed graft function. All factors except surgery were excluded, and a lymphourinary fistula was demonstrated with lymphoscintigraphy. After 15 days, chyluria resolved and she recovered spontaneously. Normal diuresis began, and her creatinine level decreased to less than 1 mg/dL in 3 days. According to our knowledge, this is the first chyluria case secondary to surgery in the posttransplant setting.

The safety of hem-o-lock clips at donor nephrectomies.

BACKGROUND: Hem-o-lock (polymer) vascular clips have been used over a long period for vascular control at donor nephrectomies. With our study, safety of hem-o-lock clip use at donor nephrectomies (conventional donor nephrectomy, transabdominal donor nephrectomy and retroperitonoscopic donor nephrectomy) has been evaluated. MATERIAL/METHOD: A total of 883 cases, consisting of conventional donor nephrectomy, transabdominal donor nephrectomy and retroperitonoscopic donor nephrectomy, performed between May 2006 and August 2009 were retrospectively evaluated. Of all cases, 803 were performed conventional donor nephrectomy, 85 were performed endoscopic donor nephrectomy. Five patients who had first undergone endoscopic donor nephrectomy had conversion operations. RESULTS: Vascular control at renal pedicle were obtained either with hem-o-lock clip ot vascular clamps. Cases with conventional donor nephrectomy were divided into two subgroups. Group I: cases which had transfixation sutures with 5.0 prolene in order to prevent clip separation after hem-o-lock clip use; Group II: cases without transfixation sutures. Only hem-o-lock sutures were used at laparoskopic and retroperitonoscopic techniques. Large and X-large clip and were used for renal arteries and two X-large clips were used for renal vein. CONCLUSIONS: The most ideal method for vascular control at donor nephrectomy is controversial. Use of transfixation and hem-o-lock clips at conventional donor nephrectomy may be an alternative method. However for all three methods and at both groups, none of the cases who had undergone nephrectomy had bleeding or donor loss caused by hem-o-lock clips at intraoperative, perioperative anf postoperative periods. For this reason, we believe that use of hem-o-lock clips is a safe and reliable method for vascular control at donor nephrectomies.

Skin infections in 401 renal transplant recipients in southern Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: Renal transplant recipients are predisposed to the development of a variety of skin infections that can result from graft-preserving immunosuppressive therapy. In this study,we aimed to determine the prevalence of skin infections in a group of renal transplant recipients in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 401 patients followed up by the Transplantation Center at Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey, were used in a retrospective analysis. The prevalence of skin infections was calculated, and the effects of age, sex, and time after transplant on skin infections were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the patients studied, 220 (54.9%) had a skin infection. Of 280 infections identified in those individuals, 180 (64.3%) were fungal, 77 (27.5%) were viral, and 23 (8.2%) were bacterial. Pityriasis versicolor was present in 95 patients (23.7%), human papillomavirus infection in 44 (11%), onychomycosis in 23 (5.7%), and fungal toe-web infection in 20 (5%). The duration of immunosuppression significantly affected the prevalence of skin infections, and the mean interval for the development of fungal infections after transplant was earlier than that for viral or bacterial infections (25.8 -/+ 29.3, 50.7 -/+ 36.7, and 52.1 -/+ 47.9 months, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, pityriasis versicolor was the most common skin infection in renal transplant recipients in our region. Except for the higher prevalence of superficial fungal infections, the overall results in our population agree with those of other similar series.