Primary Kaposi's sarcoma of the lung in an immunocompetent 32-year-old heterosexual white man

Primary visceral involvement by Kaposi's sarcoma in the immunocompetent adult American population is extremely rare. Six cases of primary Kaposi's sarcoma of the lung have been previously reported; all four patients in whom immune function was evaluated had abnormalities. A case of primary Kaposi's sarcoma of the lung in a young adult heterosexual man with normal immunologic function is described. The patient had no response to either weekly vinblastine or doxorubicin (Adriamycin). A subsequent solitary right occipital metastasis responded to 3500 rad of radiotherapy. The patient died 3 months after diagnosis; postmortem examination revealed only two small nodules of extrathoracic Kaposi's sarcoma, one in the liver and the other in the right posterior occipital lobe of the brain. Bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal, and viral cultures were negative.