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

How this condition is treated depends on:

• How much the immune system is suppressed (immunosuppression)
• Number and location of the tumors
• Symptoms

Treatments include:

• Antiviral therapy against the AIDS virus
• Combination chemotherapy
• Freezing (cryotherapy)
• Radiation therapy

Lesions may return after treatment.

Treating Kaposi's sarcoma does not improve the chances of survival from AIDS itself. The outlook depends on the person's immune status and how much of the HIV virus is in the patient's blood (viral load).

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Complications can include:

• Cough (possibly bloody) and shortness of breath if the disease is in the lungs
• Leg swelling that may be painful or cause infections if the disease is in the lymph nodes of the legs

The tumors can return even after treatment. Kaposi's sarcoma can be deadly for a person with AIDS.

An aggressive form of African Kaposi's sarcoma can spread quickly to the bones. Another form found in African children does not affect the skin. Instead, it spreads through the lymph nodes and vital organs, and can quickly become deadly.

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).