Kaposi-like, HHV-8-negative acroangiodermatitis due to chronic venous insufficiency

A 76-year-old female patient developed severe manifestations of a kaposi-li ke acroangiodermatitis (so-called Mall's disease) due to chronic venous ins ufficiency of the lower extremities. The patient presented with large areas of confluent, violaceous or brown-black papules on both lower legs. Histol ogically,proliferation of thick-walled capillaries was seen in the upper de rmis consisting of fully differentiated endothelial cells,as shown by immun ohistochemistry. In contrast to true Kaposi's sarcoma, human-herpes-virus-8 DNA could not be detected by polymerase-chain-reaction in this condition. We review the diagnostic criteria used to distinguish between acroangioderm atitis, also called pseudo-Kaposi's sarcoma, and the true Kaposi's sarcoma.