Morphologic and immunophenotypic evidence of in-situ Kaposi's sarcoma.
BACKGROUND
The spectrum of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) has been expanded to include pre-KS lesions.


METHODS
We report, for the first time, a case providing direct histological evidence of the development of early (in-situ) KS from mediastinal lymphatic vessels in the setting of chronic lymphedema in an HIV-positive patient. Spindle-shaped and endothelial cells in these early KS-appearing lesions were immunoreactive for HHV8, D2-40 and CD34.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that HHV8-infected spindle-shaped cells associated with lymphangiogenesis that evolve into KS lesions, acquire from the outset an aberrant mixed vascular and lymphatic endothelial cell phenotype.
Konstantinopoulos
Panagiotis A
PA
Department of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. pkonstan@bidmc.harvard.edu
Dezube
Bruce J
BJ
Pantanowitz
Liron
L