High frequency and diversity of cutaneous appendageal tumors in organ transplant recipients

Recipients of organ transplant who are immunosuppressed are at greatly increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancers compared with the general population, but their risk of appendageal tumors is unknown.

Our aim was to conduct a systematic examination of cutaneous appendageal tumors arising in recipients of organ transplants compared with individuals who were immunocompetent (ICP).

We conducted a retrospective, clinicopathologic analysis of consecutive appendageal tumors arising in 650 recipients of organ transplants and in the general population of approximately 605,000 people served by our institution.

Between 1993 and 1998, 231 appendageal tumors were identified in 211 individuals; 23 tumors were found in 21 of 650 patients undergoing transplant (3%), 10 in individuals with other immunosuppressive conditions, 3 in 2 patients with Muir-Torre syndrome, and 195 in 178 apparently ICP. In addition to the increased frequency of appendageal tumors among recipients of transplants, malignant tumors were overrepresented (43% of transplant tumors vs 4% in ICP; P <.0001) as were tumors of sebaceous origin (30% vs 6%; P <.0001).

Recipients of organ transplant who are immunosuppressed have a greatly increased risk of cutaneous appendageal tumors compared with apparently ICP. In addition, their tumors are more likely to be malignant and of sebaceous origin.