Classic kaposi sarcoma in an HIV-negative han chinese man: A case report

Abstract

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a multifocal angioproliferative tumor of endothelial origin. Despite nearly identical clinical and histopathologic presentations, KS is classified into four distinct varieties: classic/sporadic, AIDS-associated, African/endemic, and iatrogenic. All subtypes are invariably linked to human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) and show a male predilection. Classic Kaposi sarcoma is exceedingly rare in the Asian population and its incidence varies by region and ethnic group predominance. A study in the Xinjiang region of China found that only 1% of classic KS cases occurred in patients belonging to the Han Chinese ethnic group, which formulates 84% of the Taiwanese population. Therefore, classic KS is extremely rare in Taiwan, with very few reports describing the manifestations of disease in this population. We report a case of an immunocompetent 68-year-old HIV-negative Han Chinese man born and raised in Taiwan with classic Kaposi sarcoma on his trunk and extremities.