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Case Reports
. 2022 Dec 11;14(12):e32394.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.32394. eCollection 2022 Dec.

A Case of Non-cutaneous Kaposi Sarcoma

Noah Osei  1 , Gerald Fletcher  2 , Abosede Showunmi  1   3 , Meena Ahluwalia  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

A Case of Non-cutaneous Kaposi Sarcoma

Noah Osei et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Kaposi sarcoma is a malignancy common in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a proliferative soft-tissue tumor commonly manifesting as pigmented papules and nodules on the skin. Lesions can also appear on the mucosal lining of the oropharynx and other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes. Head and neck involvement in Kaposi sarcoma is not unusual; however, laryngeal involvement is not commonly seen. We report the case of a 31-year-old gentleman, a former smoker with AIDS, who developed a mass in the throat with progressive hoarseness of voice without stridor. An elective tracheostomy was done to protect his airway before performing a direct laryngoscopy with biopsy. Histopathology examination showed neoplastic spindle cells positive for CD31, erythroblast transformation specific-related gene, and human herpesvirus 8, consistent with Kaposi sarcoma. The diagnosis of laryngeal Kaposi sarcoma in immunodeficient patients requires a high index of suspicion, especially when it occurs without classical dermatological manifestation, an interesting feature in this report.

Keywords: hiv aids; hoarseness; kaposi sarcoma; larynx; malnutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography images (sagittal view) showing a lobulated mass arising from the epiglottis and extending to the oro- and hypopharynx. The mass lesion causes near-complete obstruction of the upper airway.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography images (transverse view) showing a lobulated mass arising from the epiglottis and extending to the oro- and hypopharynx. The mass lesion causes near-complete obstruction of the upper airway.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography images (coronal view) showing a lobulated mass arising from the epiglottis and extending to the oro- and hypopharynx. The mass lesion causes near-complete obstruction of the upper airway.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Neoplastic spindle cells present, along with extravasation of erythrocytes (hematoxylin and eosin stain).
Figure 5
Figure 5. Intracellular and extracellular hyaline globules (hematoxylin and eosin stain).
Figure 6
Figure 6. CD31 positive.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Erythroblast transformation specific-related gene positive.
Figure 8
Figure 8. Human herpesvirus 8 positive.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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