A Case of Non-cutaneous Kaposi Sarcoma

Kaposi sarcoma is a malignancy common in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a proliferative soft-tissue tumor commonly manifesting as pigmented papules and nodules on the skin. Lesions can also appear on the mucosal lining of the oropharynx and other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes. Head and neck involvement in Kaposi sarcoma is not unusual; however, laryngeal involvement is not commonly seen. We report the case of a 31-year-old gentleman, a former smoker with AIDS, who developed a mass in the throat with progressive hoarseness of voice without stridor. An elective tracheostomy was done to protect his airway before performing a direct laryngoscopy with biopsy. Histopathology examination showed neoplastic spindle cells positive for CD31, erythroblast transformation specific-related gene, and human herpesvirus 8, consistent with Kaposi sarcoma. The diagnosis of laryngeal Kaposi sarcoma in immunodeficient patients requires a high index of suspicion, especially when it occurs without classical dermatological manifestation, an interesting feature in this report.

Automated summary

Kaposi sarcoma is a common malignancy in AIDS patients, usually presenting as pigmented papules and nodules on the skin. This case report describes a 31-year-old smoker with AIDS who developed a throat mass with hoarseness of voice, which was diagnosed as laryngeal Kaposi sarcoma. It highlights the importance of considering laryngeal involvement of Kaposi sarcoma in immunodeficient patients, especially when there are no skin lesions.