title: Non-AIDS associated Kaposi's sarcoma: clinical features and treatment outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in HIV negative patients is rare and has to be distinguished from AIDS associated KS. Two groups are at risk to develop non-AIDS related KS: elderly men mainly of Mediterranean origin and persons with iatrogenic immunosuppression.
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to define risk-groups and major clinical features we retrospectively evaluated clinical data of all patients with non-AIDS associated KS presenting to the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Tuebingen between 1987 and 2009. Data were extracted from the tumor registry of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Tuebingen and from patient records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  20 patients with non-AIDS KS have been identified. The average age at KS onset was 66.6 years; the male-to-female-ratio was 3:1. Most of the patients were immigrants from Mediterranean or Eastern European countries (60%). 15 cases of classic KS versus 5 cases of iatrogenic KS were observed. In 95% of the cases, KS was limited to the skin, without mucosal, lymph node or visceral manifestation. KS lesions were in all cases multiple and mostly bilateral, the most common localization was the skin of the lower extremities. Tumor control was achieved in nearly all cases by the use of local or systemic therapy. No patient died from KS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike KS in AIDS patients, non-AIDS associated KS is a rather localized process which rarely involves lymph nodes or organs. It is mostly seen in elderly males from Mediterranean or Eastern European countries and in most cases responsive on local or systemic therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jakob
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Metzler
authors.forename: Ko-Ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008297:Male; D011878:Radiotherapy; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents