Irving E. Salit, MD, Director of Immunodeficiency Clinic, Division of Infectious Diseases, Toronto General Hospital; Associate Professor, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a malignancy closely associated with human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8). KS occurs in immunocompromised subjects—those with HIV infection or after immunosuppressive therapy—but it also occurs without obvious immune deficiency (older men of Mediterranean origin or in central Africans). The incidence of KS in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has markedly decreased in recent years. Treatment depends on the predisposing condition and the extent of disease. Common management options include no therapy, reversal of immunosuppression, local radiation, and systemic chemotherapy.
Key words: Kaposi’s sarcoma, malignancy, HIV, AIDS, transplant.
