Primary Kaposi’s sarcoma of the nasal cavity not associated with AIDS

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is an unusual vascular tumor characterized by multiple reddish blue nodules, which usually present on the skin of the lower and upper extremities. KS may also involve mucosal sites, lymph nodes and visceral organs. During the last two decades, with the large increase in the incidence of this tumor associated with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), there have been increasing number of cases with KS presenting on the skin or mucosa of the head and neck. A review of the literature revealed that only six cases of primary KS of the nasal cavity have previously been published and only one of them presented in a patient not associated with AIDS. We report the case of a 59-year-old woman who presented 4 years ago with nasal obstruction and intermittent minor epistaxes. Physical examination revealed the presence of a fleshy tumor arising from the left nasal septum, which was excised. Histological examination of the tumor showed morphological and immunohistochemical features of KS. A complete physical and laboratory examination revealed no other pathological findings. The patient received no further treatment and 4 years later, she is in excellent condition. In the present study, we report the second case where the primary manifestation of the KS was in the nasal cavity in a patient with an adequate immune system.

Soft Tissue Tumors of the Head and Neck: Imaging-based Review of the WHO Classification

“…At CT, Kaposi sarcoma manifests as multiple nodular cutaneous or mucosal lesions, which characteristically enhance avidly (Fig 18). At MR imaging, the appearance of the lesions is nonspecific, with low signal intensity on T1-weighted images, high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and usually strong contrast enhancement (5,74,75).…”

Iatrogenic Kaposi’s sarcoma in nasal cavity: a case report

“…KS primarily involving the nasal mucosa is exceedingly rare, with only seven cases reported previously in the English literature; only two of them were not AIDS-associated presentations [9,10]. The nasal cavity is an infrequent location of primary malignant neoplasms.…”

“…The nasal cavity is an infrequent location of primary malignant neoplasms. Approximately 1% of all human malignancies occur at this site, and more than 99% of these are squamous cell carcinoma [9]. The rarity of the otherwise not infrequently encountered Kaposi’s sarcoma in this location can become a pitfall in diagnosis.…”

“…The behavior and thus the treatment of KS depend on a number of factors such as the form of the disease, symptoms, location and extent of the lesion, the immunocompetence of the patient, and the general medical condition of the patient [9]. Local excision, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and the adjustment of immunosuppressive medications could all be considered.…”

Mucosal Kaposi sarcoma, a Rare Cancer Network study

“…1,30–37 The hard palate and gingiva are the most frequent locations. Additional sites include the tongue, buccal mucosa, lips, submandibular duct area, parotid gland, and intra-parotid lymph nodes.…”