Kaposi’s sarcoma

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Kaposi's sarcoma - close-up	Kaposi's sarcoma - lesion on the foot	Kaposi's sarcoma on foot	Kaposi's sarcoma on the back
Kaposi's sarcoma on the thigh	Kaposi's sarcoma - perianal

Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancerous tumor of the connective tissue, and is often associated with AIDS.

Before the AIDS epidemic, Kaposi's sarcoma was seen mainly in elderly Italian and Jewish men, and rarely, in elderly women. Among this group, the tumors developed slowly. In AIDS patients, the cancer can develop quickly. The cancer may also involve the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and other organs.

In people with AIDS, Kaposi's sarcoma is caused by an interaction between HIV, a weakened immune system, and the human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8). Kaposi's sarcoma has been linked to the spread of HIV and HHV-8 through sexual activity.

People who have kidney or other organ transplants are also at risk for Kaposi's sarcoma.

African Kaposi's sarcoma is fairly common in young adult males living near the equator. One form is also common in young African children.

Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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