Metastatic Kaposi’s Sarcoma Causing Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Report of an Unusual Case

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma is a vascular tumor associated with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) infections that most commonly involve the skin. Kaposi's sarcoma with the gastrointestinal tract is not rare in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and can also occur in immunosuppressed patients. These patients may present with vague and variable clinical manifestations. Herein, we report a case of a 70-year-old man with Sjogren's syndrome and cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma who presented with gastrointestinal bleeding. On upper endoscopy, infiltrative, circumferential, reddish polypoid lesion involving the body and antrum of the stomach was seen. Histologic examination revealed spindle cell proliferation, and immunohistochemistry stains for human herpes virus-8 and CD34 were positive, supporting the diagnosis of metastatic Kaposi's sarcoma. Following this, we present an overview of literature on gastrointestinal Kaposi's sarcoma with emphasis on diagnosis and management.