BACILLARY EPITHELIOID ANGIOMATOSIS IN ADV ANCED HIV-INFECTION

A patient with advanced HIV infection developed multiple angiomatous p apules and nodules on the upper chest within a few days. At first sigh t the lesions resembled disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma; the differentia l diagnosis, however, included eruptive haemangiomas and pyogenic gran ulomas. Such distinct clinical characteristics as the collarette-like desquamation at the borders of the tumours led to the suspicion of bac illary epithelioid angiomatosis in HIV infection, which was then confi rmed by histology and ultrastructural demonstration of bacillary colon ies within the lesions. Under systemic antibiotic treatment, marked re gression of the lesions was quickly observed within 1 week and complet e regression occurred after 4 weeks. It is important to consider bacil lary angiomatosis in HIV infection in the differential diagnosis of Ka posi's sarcoma, and it is a separate entity in the form of angioprolif eration caused by bacteria.