Successful treatment of kaposiform lymphangiomatosis with sirolimus

Abstract

Generalized lymphatic anomaly (GLA) is a rare and often fatal congenital lymphatic disorder that also commonly affects bone. Kaposiform lymphangiomatosis (KLA) is a novel subtype of GLA with poor prognosis and no proper treatment guidelines. A 9-year-old male with recurrent pleural effusion was clinically diagnosed as KLA. Following sirolimus therapy at a dose of 0.8 mg/m(2) twice daily, pleural effusion was significantly decreased and the general status of the patient markedly improved. The clinical course indicates that sirolimus may present an effective therapeutic option in KLA. Moreover, KLA should be considered in differential diagnosis for cases of GLA with coagulopathy.

Keywords: generalized lymphatic anomaly; kaposiform lymphangiomatosis; sirolimus; vascular malformation.