Kaposi’s Sarcoma

Nov 16, 2009 | Comments 0

Kaposi’s sarcoma is an invasive tumor affecting the connective tissue and is mostly related to AIDS.

Kaposi’s Sarcoma Causes, Prevalence & Risk aspects:

Prior to the AIDS outbreak, Kaposi’s sarcoma was observed largely among aged men of Italian and Jewish origin, and on rare occasions among older women. In these sets of people, the tumors had a slow pace of development. Among AIDS infected individuals, the cancer had a rapid development. It could also affect the skin, lungs, GIT or gastrointestinal tract and other internal body organs.
In AIDS-infected individuals, Kaposi’s sarcoma occurs due to contact in-between HIV, a depleted immune system and the human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8). Kaposi’s sarcoma has been associated with the transmission of HIV and HHV-8 via sexual contact.
Those having undergone kidney or other organ transplant procedures are additionally at heightened risk of developing Kaposi’s sarcoma.
African Kaposi’s sarcoma is rather prevalent among younger-aged males during adulthood residing in close proximity to the equator. One type is additionally prevalent among younger-aged African infants.

Kaposi’s Sarcoma Symptoms:

The tumors emerge as blue-red or purple coloured lesions over the skin’s surface. The rich network of blood vessels impart their colour to the lesions that could initially start appearing on the regions of the feet, ankles, thighs, upper body parts like the hands, arms, face or any other region of the body. They could additionally start appearing within the body.
Bleeding occurring from the lesions in the gastrointestinal tract.
Blood-inundated phlegm emitted from the lesions in the lung that could also lead to succinctness of breath.

Diagnosis & Tests:

The below stated tests could be conducted for diagnosing Kaposi’s sarcoma:

Bronchoscopy
CT or CAT scan
Endoscopy
Biopsy procedure for removing samples of skin lesions.

Kaposi’s Sarcoma Treatment:

The treatment of the condition is dependent on:

The extent of immunosuppression.
How many lesions and their location.
The symptoms that are surfacing.

Treatments comprise of:

Antiviral treatment for combating against the AIDS virus.
Combination chemotherapy.
Freezing or cryotherapy.
Radiation therapy.

There is likelihood of the lesions relapsing subsequent to treatment.

Prognosis:

Treatment of Kaposi’s sarcoma fall short of enhancing the likelihood of surviving from AIDS itself. The outlook is dependent on the condition of the individual’s immune system and amount of the HIV virus present in the blood known as the viral load.

Complications:

Coughing, breathing distress leading to shortened breath in case the disease has metastasized to the lungs.
Swelling appearing in the leg that leads to pain or infection in case the disease has spread to the lymph nodes of the leg region.
The tumour could relapse subsequent to treatment and could prove detrimental to an individual inflicted with AIDS.
A belligerent version of African Kaposi’s sarcoma could proliferate rapidly to the bones. Another kind detected in African infants is observed to spare the skin. In its place, it proliferates to the lymph nodes and major organs, and could soon turn fatal.