Treatment of classic Kaposi's sarcoma-associated lymphedema with elastic stockings

Abstract

Lymphedema of the lower extremities is a frequent complication of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Compressive therapy is the basis of treatment for lymphatic disorders, but to the authors' knowledge, there are no controlled trials to evaluate its effectiveness in KS-related lymphedema. Sixty-five patients with classic KS-associated lymphedema limited to below the knee were studied. Fifty patients received below-knee elastic stockings, whereas the remaining 15 did not use any compressive device. Among treated patients, 60% (30/50) experienced a limb volume reduction, while 40% (20/50) had an increase of limb volume. In contrast, all patients (15/15) of the untreated group had an increase of limb volume. No correlation between lymphedema reduction and systemic or local chemotherapy was observed, supporting compressive therapy as the major strategy for the treatment of this condition. Our results suggest that elastic stockings may be important tools for the management of lymphedema associated to classic KS.