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Kaposi sarcoma presenting as a vulvar mass
M A Macasaet1, A Duerr, W Thelmo
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, SUNY Health Science Center, Brooklyn, USA.
Background:
Kaposi sarcoma has become a common manifestation in people with AIDS, especially men. A few reports of Kaposi sarcoma in women with AIDS have involved nongenital areas. However, of the few patients with genital Kaposi sarcoma reported in the United States, none was believed to be human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive. Genital Kaposi sarcoma associated with HIV has been reported in other parts of the world.
Case:
A 29-year-old black woman presented with severe vulvar pain, vaginal discharge, and a vulvar mass. She had been diagnosed with AIDS 25 months earlier. Biopsy of the vulvar mass revealed Kaposi sarcoma; viral analysis of the tumor was positive for herpes simplex virus type 2. Sequencing of polymerase chain reaction product verified the presence of human papillomavirus 26.
Conclusion:
We report an HIV-associated Kaposi sarcoma presenting as a vulvar mass. This report should alert health care providers to include Kaposi sarcoma in the differential diagnosis of vulvar lesions.