Demographic analysis and outcome features in a transplant outpatient clinic

Aim. This retrospective report analyzed the demographic features of kidney transplant outpatients grafted in Turkey and in different regions of the world

Kaposi's sarcoma after renal transplantation in Turkey

In this report, incidence and clinical characteristics of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) were retrospectively analyzed among renal transplant recipients who were being followed-up in the outpatient clinic of the Istanbul School of Medicine. Between October 1983 and December 1997, 17 cases of KS were diagnosed among 557 patients (3%). Of the total 25 post-transplant malignancies, KS was the most common tumor, representing a rate of 68%. Diagnosis was suspected with typical skin lesions and was confirmed by biopsy. Gastroduodenal endoscopy was applied to 7 patients in order to assess gastrointestinal tract involvement. Of the total number of patients diagnosed with KS 14 were male and 3 female, with the mean age of 40 +/- 15 (range 13-68) yr. The mean duration between the date of transplantation and diagnosis of KS was 15.9 +/- 20.3 (range 1-65) months. The lesions were limited to the skin in 13 patients, while skin and gastrointestinal tract were involved in 2 patients and generalized disease was noted in 2 patients. The initial therapeutic approach was to withdraw cyclosporine and to reduce azathioprine. In the case of progression of the lesions azathioprine was also stopped. Besides, surgical excision of the lesions, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy were performed according to the clinical picture. Remission was observed in 14 patients after this therapy protocol. The 2 patients with gastrointestinal involvement and 1 patient with generalized KS died in spite of the above-mentioned therapeutic interventions. One of the patients on remission died of pneumonia. It was concluded that KS carried a high risk of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients, and tapering of immunosuppression, especially withdrawal of cyclosporine, affected the prognosis favorably

Posttransplant malaria

The frequency and clinical characteristics of plasmodium infection were reported in 420 renal transplant recipients who were followed in the Transplantation Unit and Out-Patient Clinic of the Medical School of Istanbul. Plasmodium infection was diagnosed in eleven (9 male, 2 female) of the 420 patients (2.6%). Ten of the patients were transplanted in India, and one in our institution. The mean duration between the transplantation and the diagnosis of malaria was 21.7 + 44.4 days in patients who were transplanted in India. All of the patients were taking triple immunosuppressive drugs (CsA, AZA PRED). Plasmodium falciparum was diagnosed in 6 patients, P vivax in 1 patient and P malariae in 1 patient. Also mixed infection with P falciparum and P malariae was diagnosed in 3 patients. After definite diagnosis, the patients were hospitalized. Chloroquine phosphate plus primaquine phosphate was administered for P vivax infection, whereas chloroquine phosphate alone was given for P falciparum and P malariae infection as a first line antimalarial therapy. As a result of therapy, infection improved clinically and the plasmodia disappeared rapidly from the thick blood film in 10 of the patients. Severe hemolysis and acute renal failure developed in one patient, who improved after hemodialysis therapy and exchange transfusions