HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE BACTEREMIA IN ELDERLY MEN WITH KAPOSIS-SARCOMA- 2 CASE-REPORTS AND A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Hemophilus influenzae is a common pathogen responsible for respiratory infections, meningitis, and bacteremia in children, and a rare cause of bacteremia in adults. We report two cases of H. influenzae bacterem ia in elderly men with Kaposi's sarcoma. Both of the patients describe d are elderly men with no other stigmata of the acquired immune defici ency syndrome. Both Kaposi's sarcoma of the elderly and adult H. influ enzae bacteremia are relatively uncommon, and the coappearance of thes e syndromes may suggest a common immune defect predisposing to these s yndromes, or Kaposi's sarcoma may provide a portal of entry for this o rganism. We suggest that patients with Kaposi's sarcoma who may have b acteremia receive appropriate antibiotic treatment for H. influenzae u ntil a causative agent is isolated.