Lymphadenopathic type of Kaposi's sarcoma in a Ugandan child seropositive for LAV/HTLV-III antibodies

Abstract

The authors report a case of a lymphadenopathic type of Kaposi's sarcoma in a Ugandan boy aged 2 years and 1 month who was seropositive for antibodies to lymphadenopathy-associated virus/human T-lymphotropic virus type III (LAV/HTLV-III).

PIP: Report is a case of the lymphadenopathic type of Kaposi's sarcoma in a 2-year-old Ugandan boy with antibodies to lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV)/human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III). The boy was admitted to the hospital in February 1985 with severe respiratory tract infection and enlarged lymph nodes and spleen. Histopathologic examination revealed that the lymphatic tissue had been almost completely replaced by Kaposi's sarcoma tissue of a mixed cellular pattern. There were no skin lesions, as a usually the case with Kaposi's sarcoma. The boy recovered from the respiratory infection and was placed on cytostatic therapy (adriamycin every 3 weeks). The boy was released from the hospital in June 1985 and did not return for follow-up. Although no serum sample was available from the child's mother, she was clinically asymptomatic. The child had no history of blood transfusions. In adults, endemic Kaposi's sarcoma has been unrelated to LAV/HTLV-III infection. It is concluded that the lymphadenopathic type of Kaposi's sarcoma found in this Ugandan child represents the emergence of an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related Kaposi's sarcoma in Africa. Only 2 other cases of AIDS- related Kaposi's sarcoma in children have been reported in the literature; both involved black Haitian male infants who were born in the US and died of pneumonia at 7 and 9 months, respectively.