Kaposi sarcoma in the gastrointestinal tract: Challenges in diagnosis and treatment - A case report

Abstract

Kaposi’ s sarcoma is a vascular neoplasm involving the endothelial cells of blood and lymphatic vessels, associated with various aetiologies. While cutaneous manifestations are common, gastrointestinal involvement particularly in the stomach and colon is rare among HIV-infected individuals, accounting for only 0.2-1.2% of gastrointestinal malignancies. Epidemiologically, Kaposi’s sarcoma is more prevalent in males, typically between 50 and 70 years of age. We report a case of a 22-year-old HIV-positive male diagnosed with gastrointestinal Kaposi’ s sarcoma. The patient presented to the gastroenterology clinic with chronic diarrhoea, fever and significant weight loss. Upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed dark red macular lesions in the stomach and infiltrative, ulcerative lesions with a reddish appearance in the sigmoid colon. This represents a rare case of gastrointestinal Kaposi’s sarcoma in a young individual, both in Vietnam and globally. Based on this case, we present a comprehensive literature review of Kaposi’ s sarcoma, with particular emphasis on gastrointestinal involvement in HIV-infected patients.