KELOIDAL KAPOSIS-SARCOMA - REPORT OF 3 PATIENTS

Kaposi's sarcoma is a unique neoplasm which has emerged as an importan t element of AIDS in homosexuals but not in others at high risk for AI DS. The biology of this important tumor may be related to cytokines se creted by HIV-infected cells and/or by Kaposi's sarcoma cells themselv es. We report 3 patients with multiple keloid-like tumors. These lesio ns proved to be Kaposi's sarcoma histologically, yet with a unique kel oidal component. This variant has not been described previously. It is possible that cytokines that stimulate Kaposi's sarcoma cell growth m ay also stimulate proliferation of local fibroblasts to produce this v ariant.