[Kaposi's disease in a female patient with acquired HIV-negative immunodeficiency]

A 79-year-old woman of Mediterranean ascent suffered from corticosteroid-dependent chronic obstructive lung disease, hypogammaglobulinemia (IgG 1 and 2), decreased CD16 natural killer cell function and non-HIV related CD4 and CD8 lymphopenia. Such immunodeficiency could be either a variant of common variable immunodeficiency or an early stage of the idiopathic CD4 + T lymphocytopenia syndrome. She developed bilateral lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma on the lower extremities resembling the classic European type of the disease. The tumors contained both CD34 + and Factor XIIIa + cells. The HLA-DR5 haplotype was not found. Weekly low intravenous dosages of vinblastine improved the lesions but the patient died from pontic infarction.