European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: The skin acts as an external reflection of renal diseases. The dermatologic disorders in chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be attributed to the etiology, the disease, or the treatment and can markedly affect a patient’s quality of life.  Aim: The aim is to study the pattern and proportion of cutaneous manifestations in CKD patients on dialysis, on conservative management and in post transplant patients.  Materials and Methods: A hospital-based study was done using a cross-sectional design. The study comprised 60 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis, 13 patients with CKD receiving conservative therapy, and 10 patients who had undergone a kidney transplant. Following written consent, all patients underwent a comprehensive clinical examination. Results: Each patient included in the study exhibited at least one dermatological manifestation. Diabetes mellitus is the predominant underlying illness that causes chronic kidney disease (CKD). The predominant presentation was xerosis observed in 60% of patients, followed by pruritus observed in 43%, pallor observed in 41%, and pigmentary alterations observed in 28% of patients. 43% of patients had cutaneous infections, 82% had nail alterations, 40% experienced hair changes, and 38% showed oral mucosa changes. Posttransplant patients had drug-induced skin symptoms, including acneiform eruptions in 32% of patients, hirsutism in 8% of patients, striae in 8% of patients, and hypertrichosis in 4% of patients.  Conclusion: The prevalence of xerosis, pruritus, pigmentation, and pallor is higher in the dialytic group compared to the nondialytic group. Timely identification and certain preventive interventions can avert or reduce some of the detrimental alterations.