Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1988. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
SYSTEMIC MANIFESTATIONS OF KAPOSI'S SARCOMA
Kaposi's Sarcoma: A Text and Atlas. Gottlieb GJ, Ackerman AB, eds. Philadelphia, Lea and Febiger, p. 113-27, 1988.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/88647197 Amazon K; Rywlin AM; Dept. of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL
Abstract:
Systemic manifestations of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) are described and illustrated by micrographs. After the skin, the organs most frequently involved by KS are lymph nodes and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Enlarged lymph nodes in patients (pts) with KS may have different histologic appearances. Whenever hypervascular hyperplasia of lymph nodes is observed, a careful search should be undertaken for foci of fully developed KS, ie, interweaving fascicles of spindle cells, extravasated RBC, vascular slits, and deposition of hemosiderin. Pts with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) frequently have lymphadenopathy as their first manifestation. Direct involvement of the bone marrow in KS is rare and usually results from infiltration of bone by an overlying cutaneous focus. A high frequency of GI involvement by KS has been shown, with the most frequently involved site being the small intestine, followed by the stomach and colon. Early stages of KS in the GI tract are not as easily recognized as they are in the skin or lymph nodes. Involvement of the respiratory tract by KS in non-AIDS pts is uncommon. Grossly, the appearance of KS varies from a single large mass to innumerable small nodules, varying in color from deep red to white. Histologically, small lesions of the pulmonary parenchyma are perivascular or peribronchial and infiltrate the surrounding lung. Macrophages containing ceroid and hemosiderin are numerous within alveolar spaces adjacent to the neoplasm. KS has been reported in every organ, including the heart. Fever, wt loss, and hematologic and immunologic abnormalities have been described in pts with KS. Abnormalities of peripheral blood are nonspecific. It is not clear whether the several different hematologic and immunologic manifestations reported in pts with KS are important to its pathogenesis or are merely epiphenomena. (59 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PATHOLOGY Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/PATHOLOGY Gastrointestinal System/PATHOLOGY Human Lymph Nodes/PATHOLOGY Lymphatic Metastasis Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/*PATHOLOGY Respiratory System/PATHOLOGY Respiratory Tract Neoplasms/PATHOLOGY Sarcoma, Kaposi's/*PATHOLOGY Skin/PATHOLOGY Skin Neoplasms/*PATHOLOGY MONOGRAPH REVIEW, TUTORIAL REVIEW
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.