Clinicopathological features of Kaposi's sarcoma in Zaire

A total of 299 cases of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) occurring in Zaire over a 21-year period have been reviewed in the Department of Pathology, Kinshasa University Hospital. Of these, 268 were localized in the skin (89,6%) with the majority (51.8%) in the lower limbs; 31 (10.4%) were located elsewhere, chiefly in the lymph nodes (71.0%). Adults were more severely affected (67.6%) than children (6.7%). The proportion of females (12.8%) was much less than that of males (79.6%) and the adjusted M:F ratio was 4.81:1. The highest frequency (24.7%) of KS was found in Equator Province. Only 1 KS-associated cancer was observed (0.3%). Histopathologically, angiomatous, granulomatous, sarcomatous and mixed types were encountered, with the last two predominating and accounting for 42.5% and 49.2%, respectively. KS accounted for 5.3% of all cancers registered in the Department over a 5-year period. This retrospective study of KS describes some major pathological and epidemiological features of the disease that may be of great importance in relation to further studies of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Zaire.