Kaposi's Sarcoma (AIDS-related)

Diagnosis: Kaposi's Sarcoma (AIDS-related)

Large purplish plaque consisting of many coalescing macules and papules on the trunk of AIDS patient.

Clinical Presentation

Large purplish plaque consisting of many coalescing macules and papules on the trunk of AIDS patient.

Clinical History

Submitted by Alaa Saad. Originally posted October 21, 2010.

Treatment

See case discussion.

Differential Diagnosis

• Bacillary angiomatosis • Pyogenic granuloma • Angiosarcoma • Hemangioma • Dermatofibroma • Melanoma • Stasis dermatitis

Key Learnings

• Caused by HHV-8 (Human Herpesvirus 8) in all variants • Four types: classic (elderly Mediterranean men), endemic (sub-Saharan Africa), iatrogenic (immunosuppression), epidemic (HIV/AIDS) • HIV-associated KS: dramatically decreased with effective ART • Patch → plaque → nodular stage progression • Classic KS: indolent course, lower extremity predominance • Histology: spindle cell proliferation with slit-like vascular channels, PAS+ eosinophilic globules

Tags: kaposi039s, sarcoma, aids, related, alaa saad