Primary Kaposi's sarcoma of the nasal cavity not associated with AIDS

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is an unusual vascular tumor characterized by multiple reddish blue nodules, which usually present on the skin of the lower and upper extremities. KS may also involve mucosal sites, lymph nodes and visceral organs. During the last two decades, with the large increase in the incidence of this tumor associated with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), there have been increasing number of cases with KS presenting on the skin or mucosa of the head and neck. A review of the literature revealed that only six cases of primary KS of the nasal cavity have previously been published and only one of them presented in a patient not associated with AIDS. We report the case of a 59-year-old woman who presented 4 years ago with nasal obstruction and intermittent minor epistaxes. Physical examination revealed the presence of a fleshy tumor arising from the left nasal septum, which was excised. Histological examination of the tumor showed morphological and immunohistochemical features of KS. A complete physical and laboratory examination revealed no other pathological findings. The patient received no further treatment and 4 years later, she is in excellent condition. In the present study, we report the second case where the primary manifestation of the KS was in the nasal cavity in a patient with an adequate immune system.