Pulmonary Kaposi sarcoma in six children.
BACKGROUND
Pulmonary involvement in Kaposi sarcoma is rare in children and can be difficult to distinguish from other pathology.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the radiological findings in paediatric pulmonary Kaposi sarcoma.


METHODS
Sequential chest radiographs of six children and CT scans of four of these children were evaluated retrospectively. Their ages ranged from 18 months to 10 years; four were male and two were female. All six children were HIV-positive. The observers were two radiologists.


RESULTS
Chest radiographs revealed air-space (100%) and reticular (83%) opacification in the mid- and lower lung zones; pleural effusions were present in 83% of the children. All the children showed progressive air-space opacification on follow-up radiography. CT demonstrated bilateral air-space opacification in a perihilar distribution in all the children; reticular opacification was seen in 75%. All the children had mediastinal and axillary lymphadenopathy; 75% had bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy.


CONCLUSIONS
In both adults and children, chest radiography demonstrates perihilar and lower zone involvement. Pleural effusions are more common on radiographs in children. Air-space disease and lymphadenopathy are much more common on CT in children than adults.
Theron
Salomine
S
Department of Radiology, Tygerberg Academic Hospital, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa. salomine@adept.co.za
Andronikou
Savvas
S
Du Plessis
Jaco
J
Goussard
Pierre
P
George
Reena
R
Mapukata
Ayanda
A
Grobbelaar
Marie
M
Hayes
Murray
M
Wieselthaler
Nicky
N
Davidson
Alan
A
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed