KAPOSIS-SARCOMA OF THE LUNG IN PATIENTS W ITH AN ACQUIRED-IMMUNE-DEFICIENCY-SYNDROME (AIDS) - MERITS OF THORACIC RADIOGRAPHS AND OF COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY

Twenty-four patients with AIDS presenting with Kaposi's sarcoma of the lung were retrospectively studied to assess the merits of thoracic ra diographs and of CT for the diagnosis of this disease. Evidence for Ka posi's sarcoma of the lung was given by a characteristic fiberendoscop ic appearance in 10 cases and by the histologic diagnosis in 14 cases. All patients had chest radiographs and 14 patients a concomitant thor acic CT study. Chest radiographs showed perihilar opacities in 18 pati ents, nodules in 8, mediastinal and/or hilar adenopathies in 2 and ple ural effusion in 16. Comparison of the patients who had had thoracic r adiographs and a CT scan showed better detection of adenopathies, desc ribed in 2 cases on chest radiographs and 7 on CT scans, and of nodule s, detected in 5 cases on chest radiographs and 6 on CT scans. In 12 p atients with perihilar opacities on thoracic radiographs, CT provided a better view of the peribronchovascular distribution of these opaque areas. In 1 patient, CT showed peribronchovascular thickening while ra diographs were normal. In 1 patient, both examinations were normal. Th is study emphasizes the merits of thoracic radiographs and, even more, of CT for the diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma of the lung. Peribronchov ascular thickening appears to be a characteristic sign that is well an alyzed with computed tomography. Since histological evidence of Kaposi 's sarcoma is rarely obtained because of the aggressive nature of biop sies in such patients, CT has an important role for the diagnosis of t his condition.