Clinico-epidemiologic characteristics and patterns of care in Kaposi’s sarcoma: Data from a single-institution series

Abstract

In the late 20th to early 21st century, most new Kaposi’s sarcoma cases were associated with HIV coinfection and low CD4 T-cell counts. After introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy, the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of Kaposi’s sarcoma may have changed. We analyzed and now report on 27 consecutive Kaposi’s sarcoma patients treated at our institution from 2007 to 2017. Most patients were HIV-positive Caucasian men on antiretroviral therapy; the average CD4 T-cell count was above the AIDS-defining level of 200 cells/mm³. Seven patients had Kaposi’s sarcoma with mucosal involvement, and 20 had skin-only Kaposi’s sarcoma. Mucosal Kaposi’s sarcoma patients had a mean CD4 T-cell count of 83 cells/mm³ as opposed to 381 cells/mm³ for patients with skin-only involvement (p = 0.005). Survival was significantly compromised in both groups but even more so in Kaposi’s sarcoma patients with mucosal involvement (306 vs. 609 days). Along with other reports, our findings suggest that Kaposi’s sarcoma may develop in HIV patients in the modern era despite well-controlled HIV disease. This is significant since Kaposi’s sarcoma remains an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients.