Disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma and HCV infection: only a casual relationship? A case report.
The authors present a case of disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma in a male patient, HIV negative and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive. Although it is well-known that in HCV positive patients the onset of cutaneous diseases such as porphyria cutanea tarda, mixed essential cryoglobulinemia, lichen planus, polyarteritis nodosa, itch/prurigo, is possible, papers on its association with disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV negative patients are rare in the literature. Such an association is probably not a matter of chance: in fact, the changes to the immune system induced by the HCV virus, in synergy with those induced by the Human Herpetic virus-8, could likewise play a role in the development of Kaposi's sarcoma as happens in patients with immunodeficiency .
Baglieri
F
F
U. O. di Dermatologia e MTS A.O.S. S. Elia, Caltanisetta, Italy. francbag@tiscali.it
Scuderi
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015984:Causality; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010157:Palatal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha