Kaposi's sarcoma associated with AIDS

Abstract

In 1872, Moritz Kaposi, first described "Idiopathisches multiples Pigmentsarkom der Haut", which has become known as Kaposi sarcoma (KS). In the present KS is considerate an opportunistic neoplasm rather than a genuine cancer. It is a disease with clinical aspects extremely different, associate with some immunological deficits. The discovering in 1994 of a new type of human herpes virus called human herpes virus type 8 (HHV8) in the KS lesions sustains also a viral etiology. Four forms of Kaposi's sarcoma are recognized: classical, endemic (associated with AIDS), epidemic and iatrogenic (usually after transplant). All these forms have the same histopathologic aspects and are associated with HHV. However, these differ in prognosis and treatment. The authors present a KS case associated with AIDS occurring at a patient in the childhood. The particularities of the case are the presence of only two cutaneous lesions, from which one giant tumor, and the other nodular in aspect and the appearance of an infection HIV in the childhood with involvement of others risk factors except homosexuality. It is important, on one side the importance of the histopathologic exam of an angiomatous tumor for the establishing the diagnosis of KS even when is solitaire and appear in the child, and the other side the absolute necessity to search an eventual concomitant infection with HIV in the presence of a KS.