GINGIVAL KAPOSIS-SARCOMA AND PERIODONTITIS - A CASE-REPORT AND SUGGESTED TREATMENT APPROACH TO THE COMBINED LESIONS

Kaposi's sarcoma is frequently observed in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and the mouth is a common site for these le sions. Gingival Kaposi's sarcoma lesions can often be exacerbated by c oexisting periodontal disease. To obtain the best treatment results, i t is important to recognize and treat the gingival Kaposi's sarcoma le sion and the associated periodontitis concomitantly. In this report we describe a case of oral Kaposi's sarcoma in which gingival debridemen t, root planing and scaling, and monitored oral hygiene were used in c onjunction with intralesional and systemic chemotherapy. These combine d therapies significantly reduced the size of the lesions and dramatic ally improved the symptoms.