Pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma after heart transplantation: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Kaposi's sarcomas have been associated with different conditions of immunosuppression and are also known to be a typical complication of solid organ transplantations.


METHODS
We report the case of a 65-year-old Turkish man with a history of heart transplantation 10 months ago who presented for clarification of his dyspnea. The patient had a known history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a smoking history of 40 pack years. Radiologically, three progressively growing intra-pulmonary nodules were detected. The histology was diagnostic for a Kaposi's sarcoma. Visceral and especially primary intra-pulmonary Kaposi's sarcomas are very rare and have been described to have a rather unfavorable prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Even with a history suggestive for conventional lung cancer, Kaposi's sarcomas should be considered in patients after transplantation of solid organs. It should be noted that in a minority of cases this tumor exists in the absence of the typical cutaneous lesions.
Fritzsche
Florian R
FR
Institute of Surgical Pathology, Universit228;tsSpital Zürich, Schmelzbergstr, 12, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland. florian.fritzsche@usz.ch.
Tutic
Michaela
M
Opitz
Isabelle
I
Hunziker
Roger
R
Kristiansen
Glen
G
Montani
Matteo
M