Kaposi's sarcoma management from a plastic surgery perspective

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a low-grade angioproliferative tumor associated with Human Herpes Virus 8.
• The plastic surgery literature on KS management is limited despite patient referrals for surgical excision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight differences in Kaposi's sarcoma management.
• To underscore the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in selecting optimal treatment for KS lesions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 30 patients diagnosed with KS between March 2015 and January 2020.
• Surgical excision with margins of 0.5-1 cm over deep skin fascia for lesions up to 2*3 cm.
• Preoperative HIV testing and comprehensive whole-body examinations were conducted.

Main Results:

• Primary repair was utilized for 40 lesions in 23 patients.
• Skin grafts were used for 12 lesions in 8 patients.
• Local skin flaps and a pedicled regional flap were employed in four and one patient, respectively.

Conclusions:

• One-stage surgical excision of Kaposi's sarcoma lesions offers significant advantages.
• This approach is more efficient than therapies like radiotherapy, laser, or chemotherapy, which require multiple sessions.