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

BACKGROUND: 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.

OBJECTIVE: 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).

METHODS: 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.

RESULTS: 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).

CONCLUSIONS: 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.