Table 3.
Clinical features of iatrogenic Kaposi’s sarcoma patients associated with immunosuppressive therapy in miscellaneous diseases including myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis and congenital immunodeficiency
| Patient age/sex | Underlying disease | Immunosuppressive treatment before KS | Localization (skin lesions) | Extracutaneous involvement | Management of KS | Follow-up (after KS diagnosis) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. 52/male* | MG, thymoma | SC | Lower extremity | Oral mucosa | Decrement in SC dosage, chemotherapy | No remission, deceased after 5-year follow-up due to MG |
| 2. 66/male* | MG, thymoma | SC, IVIG | Upper and lower extremity, torso | Conjunctiva | Decrement in SC dosage | No remission, deceased after 4-year follow-up due to MG |
| 3. 81/female | IgA nephropathy | SC | Lower extremity | - | - | Deceased after 1-month follow-up due to another condition |
| 4. 63/female | Crohn’s disease | SC | Lower extremity | - | Cessation of SC | Remission, no relapse in 8-year follow-up |
| 5. 45/male | Nephrotic syndrome | SC, CsA | Upper and lower extremity, torso | - | Cessation of CsA and SC | Remission, no relapse in 6-year follow-up |
| 6. 68/male | MG | SC, AZA | Lower extremity | - | Unknown | Lost to follow-up |
| 7. 71/male | MG | SC | Lower extremity | Oral mucosa | Decrement in SC dosage | No remission in 1-year follow-up |
| 8. 42/female | Dermatomyositis | SC, AZA | Upper and lower extremity | - | Cessation of AZA, decrement in SC dosage, switch to IVIG | Remission, relapse after 4-year follow-up |
| 9. 69/male | Rheumatoid arthritis | SC | Lower extremity, torso | - | - | Deceased in 1 month due to another condition |
| 10. 60/male | Systemic vasculitis | SC | Upper and lower extremity | - | Unknown | Lost to follow-up |
| 11. 79/female | Rheumatoid arthritis | SC | Upper and lower extremity | - | Unknown | Lost to follow-up |
| 12. 50/female | Pemphigus vulgaris | SC, AZA, MMF | Lower extremity | - | Imiquimod cream | Remission, deceased after 1-year follow-up due to another condition |
| 13. 61/female | Rheumatoid arthritis | SC, MTX, leflunomide | Upper and lower extremity, neck | - | Unknown | Lost to follow-up |
| 14. 80/female | Adrenal insufficiency | SC | Lower extremity | - | Unknown | Lost to follow-up |
| 15. 55/female | Sarcoidosis | SC | Upper and lower extremity | Oral mucosa | Cessation of SC | Remission |
| 16. 80/male | ITP | SC | Lower extremity | - | Cessation of SC, etoposide | Remission |
| 17. 83/female | Pseudophakic bullous keratopathy | TC (eyedrop) | - | Conjunctiva (solitary) | Surgical excision | Remission, relapse after 10 months, re-excision |
| 18. 72/female | Psoriasis vulgaris | TC (ointment) | Lower extremity | - | Cessation of TC, etoposide | Lost to follow-up |
| 19. 16/female | Congenital immunodeficiency | No treatment | Upper and lower extremity, face, ear | Bone | IFN-alpha, chemotherapy | No remission in 10-year follow-up |
*Patients also associated with neoplasia (thymoma). SC: Systemic corticosteroid, TC: Topical corticosteroid, MG: Myasthenia gravis, MMF: Mycophenolate mofetil, IVIG: Intravenous immunoglobulin, CsA: Cyclosporine, AZA: Azathioprine, MTX: Methotrexate, ITP: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, IgA: Immunoglobulin A, IFN: Interferon, KS: Kaposi’s sarcoma