Kaposi sarcoma

• Rare Sarcoma
• Typically seen in immunosuppressed (classically HIV)
• Classification
  • Classic (sporadic): indolent disease in elderly (especially Mediterranean) men
  • Endemic: more aggressive disease seen in young African people
  • Transplant-related: rare; seen in pts on cyclosporine
  • Epidemic: aggressive disease seen in HIV patients
    • For some reason in those that acquired AIDS via sexual or transfusion transmission
• Aetiology
  • Associated with Human Herpesviruses 8 (a.k.a. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated-HV)
• Clinical
  • Papular (raised) brown / red nodules
  • Can be associated systemic symptoms (type B) – weight loss, fever, on-going infection
• Pathology
  • Spindle-cell tumour thought to be of endothelial cell lineage
    • Express markers of both endothelial (vascular & lymphatic) & smooth muscle lineages
  • Usually found on skin, but may be in mouth / GI tract / respiratory tract
• Investigation
  • Punch Bx
• Management
  • Treating the immunosuppression can slow or stop the progression of KS
  • Surgery: For small superficial lesions If larger→ associated with high recurrence rate
  • Cryosurgery
  • Laser
  • Radiotherapy
  • If widespread: can consider systemic Rx with Interferon-α or Paclitaxel