Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has become a common surgical procedure and increasingly done in Iraq. The greater saphenous vein (GSV) is the most veins often used as the conduit and its complications include a variety of cutaneous manifestations. Objective: To report the cutaneous manifestations at the saphenous vein harvesting site in Iraqi patients who undergone CABG. Methods: A total of 100 (82 males, 18 females) patients who had undergone CABG using the saphenous vein (SV) harvested by longitudinal incision open technique at the legs and/ or thighs were included in this case descriptive study. All cases were seen at least two months after the time of the operation in the outpatient clinic of the Cardiac Surgery Department in the Ibn-Albitar Hospital during October 2009 - October 2010. A detailed history and close dermatological examination were done including all related points to their problems. Results: The cutaneous changes on and around the saphenous vein (SV) graft donor scars were noticed in 60 out of 100 patients, 49 (81.66%) males and 11 (18.33%) females, their ages ranged from 32 - 74 (59.38±8.3221) years, with body mass index (BMI)ranged from 21.8746 - 26.9057 (23.875±8.5378). The duration interval between the time of CABG and presentation ranged from 2-180 months with a median of 5 months, 36 (60%) patients presented at less than 6 months and 24 (40%) patients presented at more than 6 months. Anesthesia was the predominant presenting symptom in 49 (81.6%), followed by neurolgic pain 8 (13.3%) and pruritus 2 (3.3%), while the cutaneous signs recorded at the site of SVG were: Xerosis in 17 (28.3%) patients, followed by residual hyperpigmentation 11(18.3%), depigmentation 11(18%), recent hair loss 11 (16.6%), hypertrophic scar 8 (13.3%), non-healing ulcer 7 (11.6%), lymphedema 7 (11.6%) and neuropathy dermatitis 6 (10%). Conclusions: Cutaneous manifestations following coronary artery bypass surgery are not uncommon problem in Iraqi patients that are seen at area of saphenous vein harvesting but the most interesting thing is to report the neuropathy dermatitis.
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