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Kaposi Sarcoma

Laura B. Bishop, MD and Brandon A Wilkins, D.O. Reviewed 05/2023
 


BASICS

  • Kaposi sarcoma (KS) was originally described in 1872 by a Hungarian dermatologist named Moritz Kaposi.

  • It is a rare cancer that originates from endothelial cells that line lymph or blood vessels...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Patients typically have several painless pigmented lesions on their skin.

  • Other possible presentations include mucosal and visceral involvement and tumor-associated lymphedema with low...

TREATMENT

The major goals of treatment are symptom palliation, prevention of disease progression, and shrinkage of tumor to alleviate edema, organ compromise, and psychological stress. 

GENERAL MEASURES

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

  • In HIV patients with KS, other opportunistic infections must be treated aggressively.

  • Because non–AIDS-defining malignancies are becoming more co...

REFERENCES

1
Cesarman E, Damania B, Krown SE, et al. Kaposi sarcoma. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2019;5(1):9. 
2
Di Lorenzo  G, Konstantinopoulos  PA, Pantanowitz  L, et al. Management o...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Anglemyer  A, Agrawal  AK, Rutherford  GW. Treatment of Kaposi sarcoma in children with HIV-1 infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.  2014;(1):CD0098...

CODES

ICD10

  • C46.5 Kaposi's sarcoma of lung

  • C46.7 Kaposi's sarcoma of other sites

  • C46 Kaposi's sarcoma

  • C46.50 Kaposi's sarcoma of unspecified lung

  • C46.4 Kaposi's sarcoma of gastrointestinal sites

  • C46.51 Kapo...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • HHV-8 (also known as KSHV) is the etiologic agent of KS.

  • HHV-8, immunocompromised status (including HIV/AIDS), and cytokine-induced growth represent preconditions for the development of...

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