see also:

• neoplasia / cancer / tumours
• HIV / AIDS
• viruses

• 1st described by Moritz Kaposi in 1872
• it became an AIDS defining illness in 1981
• it is not a true sarcoma as it is a tumor arising from mesenchymal tissue

• mainly occurs in Western cultures in those who have immune deficiency such as:
  • AIDS
  • organ transplant patients who have maintenance immunosuppression

• in 1994, it was discovered that human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) aka Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) was present in all these tumours
  • this virus is spread via saliva and is probably also sexually spread via oral sex or using saliva as a lubricant
  • it may also be spread via:
    • organ transplants
    • blood transfusion

• tends to be a chronic indolent condition in elderly men in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea where rates of KSHV/HHV-8 infection tend to be high
• reddish, violaceous, or bluish-black macules and patches that usually start on the toes and soles and may spread to form plaques or nodules
• treatment is generally surgical excision

• a more aggressive disease that infiltrates the skin extensively and mainly occurs in younger Africans from sub-Saharan Africa
  • African lymphadenopathic Kaposi sarcoma is aggressive, occurring in children under 10 years of age
  • African cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma presents with nodular, infiltrative, vascular masses on the extremities, mostly in men between the ages of 20 and 50

• occurs in organ transplant recipients who are immunosuppressed, especially by calcineurin inhibitors
• recipient may have had pre-existing HHV-8 infection or may have acquired it from an infected transplanted organ

• typical lesions tend to mainly affect head, back, neck, trunk, and mucous membranes, and can spread to GIT, lymph nodes and lungs
• This form of KS is over 300 times more common in AIDS patients than in renal transplant recipients.

• currently incurable
• Rx is aimed at treating the underlying immunosuppression which can slow or stop disease progression.
• if there are few lesions, local measures such as radiation therapy or cryosurgery may be used.