title: Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of classic Kaposi's sarcoma in Peru.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Classic Kaposi sarcoma (KS) occurs predominantly among the elderly, with predominance among Jews, Italians, and Greeks. Classic KS has been seen relatively frequently in Peru.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to outline the epidemiological and clinical profile of classic KS in Peru.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epidemiological and clinical features of all classic KS cases diagnosed between 1969 and 2003 at Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH) and between 1946 and 2004 at Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas (INEN) were reviewed and studied retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An overall incidence of 2.54 per 10,000 attended patients was obtained at the INEN during the 48-year period (mean, 2.39; standard deviation: 1.99; 95% confidence interval, 2.92-1.86). Twenty-one cases were discovered at HNCH and 106 cases at INEN. A male/female ratio of 2.62:1 was found. Mean age at diagnosis was 68.5 years. Lower limbs were involved in 109 patients (85.8%); the trunk was involved in 11 patients (8.6%). Nodules were the most common type of lesion (85.8%); less commonly found were plaques (27.5%), macules (12.5%), papules (12.5%), and ulcers (8.6%). Sixty-two patients had no symptoms (48.8%). Pain was the most common symptom (26.7%), followed by edema (21.2%), bleeding (14.9%), and pruritus (3.9%). A second primary malignancy was found in 11 patients (8.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results were obtained from patients with classic KS in Peru and may not be applicable to other populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Classic KS is quite common in Peru with sporadic cases found throughout the country and some clustering in the coastal region. Classic KS in Peru has a clinical presentation that is very similar, but not identical, to the classic KS described in the Mediterranean region, exhibiting some special clinical and epidemiological characteristics with a nodular, nonsymmetric presentation that usually affects the lower extremities.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. salim17@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohanna
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ferrufino
authors.forename: Juvenal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gotuzzo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology