[Kaposi's sarcoma in kidney transplant treated with cyclosporin and azathioprine]

We report on a renal transplant patient who had developed Kaposi's sarcoma with cutaneous involvement 20 days after transplantation. The patient had a functioning renal graft and was on immunosuppressive therapy consisting of prednisone, azathioprine and cyclosporine. Azathioprine and cyclosporine were discontinued and chemotherapy was instituted with vinblastine first and methotrexate later; however, Kaposi's tumor did not respond to the foregoing therapeutic regimen. Thirty-two months following transplantation, the kidney graft presented acute interstitial rejection that warranted graft removal. The patient is currently receiving treatment for Kaposi's sarcoma but tumor regression has not been achieved. We discuss the atypical course of this case in comparison with those reported elsewhere.