COEXISTENCE OF KAPOSIS-SARCOMA AND TUBERCULOSIS IN A RENAL-TRANSPLANTRECIPIENT

Background. We describe a case of Kaposi's sarcoma that developed in a renal transplant recipient as early as 5 months after the transplant. Method. The Kaposi's sarcoma evolved in an aggressive manner, involvi ng the oral mucosa, the cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes, the gast rointestinal tract, and possibly the lung, Histological features of tu berculosis were also detected incidentally on an excisional biopsy of the lymph node. The patient was given 12 months of antituberculous che motherapy, At the same time, immunosuppression was gradually tapered o ver a 2- to 3-week period. Results. Despite the aggressive nature of t he disease, the Kaposi's sarcoma regressed completely without the inst itution of chemotherapy. The patient remained disease-free after a fol low-up period of 30 months, The kidney allograft, however, was rejecte d and the patient required dialysis again, Conclusion. Although lympha denopathy is a well-recognized feature in organ transplant recipients who develop Kaposi's sarcoma, one has to watch out for other coexistin g diseases, such as tuberculosis, lymphoma, and cytomegalovirus infect ion.