Disseminated Kaposi's Sarcoma Without Cutaneous Involvement

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a low-grade vascular tumor caused by infection with human herpesvirus 8. Prior to the AIDS epidemic, KS was rare in the United States. With the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy, KS has become far less common, now occurring at a rate of about 6 cases per million people each year. It is still seen most commonly in those infected with HIV, and cutaneous manifestations represent the most common presentation. In this case, we describe a patient with disseminated AIDS-associated KS lacking cutaneous manifestations.