Kaposi's sarcoma following immune suppressive therapy for Wegener's granulomatosis

The association between Kaposi's sarcoma and infection with human herpesvirus 8 is now well recognized. Immunologic impairment is associated with 2 forms of Kaposi's sarcoma, epidemic [associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection] and iatrogenic (associated with immunosuppressive treatment); both forms have become more common during the last decade. We describe an HIV negative 54-year-old man who developed Kaposi's sarcoma 2 months after the beginning of immuno-suppressive therapy for Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). With tapering of medication, complete remission of Kaposi's sarcoma was achieved in one year. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of iatrogenic Kaposi's sarcoma in a patient with WG.