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Is dermatome shaving a potential treatment for actinic keratosis in organ transplant recipients? A cross-sectional study

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European Journal of Plastic Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is correlated with high morbidity and mortality in solid-organ transplant recipients (OTR) and it appears after a mean interval of 8 to 10 years. Prophylactic treatments are still required to prevent the development of NMSC. This study aims to investigate whether dermatome shaving reduced the occurrence of keratotic skin lesions in OTRs.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted. One thousand and twenty-four patients who had a split-thickness skin graft due to NMSC excision were identified in the Central Denmark Region and the Region of Southern Denmark between 1996 and 2011. Eleven of these patients were OTRs at the time of split-thickness skin grafting and were included in the study. The patients were examined for keratotic skin lesions, representing suspected premalignant lesions, on the donor area of the split-thickness skin graft, recipient area and two corresponding control areas. Epidemiological and medical parameters for each patient were registered via medical records and through patient interviews.

Results

The average time between split-thickness skin grafting and clinical examination was 6.2 years (1.1–16.8). The occurrence of keratotic skin lesions were lower in the donor area compared to both of the control areas (Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, p = 0.024, respectively, p = 0.019).

Conclusions

Dermatome shaving reduced the occurrence of keratotic skin lesions in OTRs and might prevent the development of field cancerization and NMSC.

Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank The Danish Cancer Society, the Research Foundation of the Danish Kidney Society, The A.P. Moller Foundation for the Advancement of Medical Science, The Einar Willumsen Foundation, the Aage Bang Foundation and Mollerens Fond which have contributed with valuable donations to the study.

Ethical Standards

This study has been approved by the appropriate ethics committee and have therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All persons gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in this study.

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Norrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark

    Ulrik Kjerkegaard, Tine Engberg Damsgaard & Lars Bjørn Stolle

  2. Department of Plastic Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000, Odense, Denmark

    Morten Bischoff-Mikkelsen

  3. Department of Dermatology, Aarhus University Hospital, P. P. Orumsgade 11, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark

    Ulrik Kjerkegaard & Birgitte Stausbøl-Grøn

  4. Institute of Pathology, Aarhus University Hospital, Norrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark

    Torben Steiniche

Authors
  1. Ulrik Kjerkegaard
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  2. Morten Bischoff-Mikkelsen
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  3. Tine Engberg Damsgaard
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  4. Torben Steiniche
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  5. Birgitte Stausbøl-Grøn
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  6. Lars Bjørn Stolle
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Correspondence to Ulrik Kjerkegaard.

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Kjerkegaard, U., Bischoff-Mikkelsen, M., Damsgaard, T.E. et al. Is dermatome shaving a potential treatment for actinic keratosis in organ transplant recipients? A cross-sectional study. Eur J Plast Surg 37, 327–332 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-014-0945-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-014-0945-5

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