Summary
Background
Kaposi sarcoma is a low grade angioproliferative disorder which requires infection with human herpes virus 8 for its development. Skin lesions can be observed frequently in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cases, but there is a limited number of cases of Kaposi sarcoma with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the literature.
Case report
Here, we present a case report of an iatrogenic Kaposi sarcoma in a 79-year-old man recently diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia secondary to chronic lymphocytic leukemia. After treatment with methylprednisolone and rituximab, the patient developed Kaposi sarcoma nodular lesions on his legs. After three courses of oral etoposide for Kaposi sarcoma, the lesions completely disappeared at the end of the third month of treatment.
Conclusion
Even though the mortality rate is low with Kaposi sarcoma, it can cause physical and psychological burden for the patients. Additional investigations and raising awareness of Kaposi sarcoma while evaluating the differential diagnosis of skin lesions in chronic lymphocytic leukemia are needed. Short-term oral etoposide was tolerated well in this patient with a good clinical response.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Douglas JL, Gustin JK, Dezube B, Pantanowitz JL, Moses AV. Kaposi’s sarcoma: a model of both malignancy and chronic inflammation. Panminerva Med. 2007;49(3):119–38.
Vangipuram R, Tyring SK. Epidemiology of Kaposi sarcoma: review and description of the nonepidemic variant. Int J Dermatol. 2018; https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.14080.
Hisada M, Biggar RJ, Greene MH, Fraumeni JF Jr, Travis LB. Solid tumors after chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Blood. 2001;98(6):1979–81.
Hacioglu MB, Sahin S, Karatas F, Aytekin A. A rare coexistence—chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Kaposi sarcoma: case report and review of the literature. J Cancer Res Ther. 2015;11(4):954–6.
Wijermans PW, van Groningen K, van Royen EA, Bruijn JA. Kaposi’s sarcoma in an HIV-negative CLL patient as the cause of thrombocytopenia. Ann Hematol. 1994;68(6):307–10.
Kose F, Kocer NE, Sumbul AT, Sezer A, Yilkan O. Kaposi’s sarcoma following chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a rare entity. Case Rep Oncol. 2012;5(2):271–4.
Contu L, Carcassi C, La Nasa G, Zurrida SM, Sirigu F, Del Giacco S, Cerimele D, Longinotti M, Pitzus F. A case of classical Kaposi’s sarcoma in B‑cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Tumori. 1986;72(4):365–74.
Wang QJ, Jenkins FJ, Jacobson LP, Kingsley LA, Day RD, Zhang ZW, Meng YX, Pellett PE, Kousoulas KG, Baghian A, Rinaldo CR Jr.. Primary human herpesvirus 8 infection generates a broadly specific CD8(+) T‑cell response to viral lytic cycle proteins. Blood. 2001 Apr 15;97(8):2366–73. Erratum. Blood. 2002;99(10):3499.
Manusow D, Weinerman BH. Subsequent neoplasia in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. JAMA. 1975;232(3):267–9.
Brewer JD, Shanafelt TD, Call TG, Cerhan JR, Roenigk RK, Weaver AL, Otley CC. Increased incidence of malignant melanoma and other rare cutaneous cancers in the setting of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Int J Dermatol. 2015;54(8):e287–e93.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
U. Iltar, V. Aslan, M. Gocer, F. Aykac, İ. Nizam, M. Çelik, F. Gulec, T. Ulaş, and E. Kurtoğlu declare that they have no competing interests.
Ethical standards
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. For images or other information within the manuscript which identify patients, consent was obtained from them and/or their legal guardians.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Iltar, U., Aslan, V., Gocer, M. et al. Kaposi sarcoma following autoimmune hemolytic anemia in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. memo 12, 99–102 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12254-018-0445-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12254-018-0445-6