Kaposi's Sarcom
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Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancer of the skin that is seen most commonly in the United States in people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS (as well as other diseases involving deficiencies in the immune system) allows this cancer to appear and grow. Kaposi's sarcoma develops in about one-fourth of people with AIDS who have acquired the infection through sexual exposure; it is rarely seen in persons infected with AIDS through blood transfusions or intravenous drug abuse. Kaposi's sarcoma can occur anywhere on the body, although in AIDS patients, lesions tend to favor the upper trunk.
Another form of this cancer, referred to as classic Kaposi's sarcoma, was the most common form of this disease prior to the AIDS epidemic. In the United States, this form of Kaposi's is found primarily in otherwise healthy older males of Italian or Jewish descent; in classic Kaposi's sarcoma, lesions tend to appear on the legs.
Flat patches with a bruise-like appearance; or reddish-purple to brownish-blue, pea-sized or larger bumps, which eventually may grow to cover larger areas.
For smaller lesions, local injection into the lesion of chemotherapeutic agents or topically applied liquid nitrogen cryotherapy may be used. If larger lesions are present or if there is involvement of the lymph nodes or internal organs, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be recommended.
If you have skin changes that fit the description of Kaposi's sarcoma, see a doctor. He may perform a skin biopsy for microscopic pathologic examination to confirm the diagnosis. The doctor will likely ask you about risk factors for, or symptoms of, AIDS (such as, swollen lymph nodes, night sweats, fatigue, fever, and weight loss). A blood test for the AIDS virus (called human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV) will also be performed.
If Kaposi's sarcoma has developed within lymph nodes, it
may lead to swelling of the extremity that normally drains into this lymph node
region; if Kaposi's invades internal organs, it may interfere with normal
functioning and ultimately be life-threatening.
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