Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a neoplastic vascular disorder, classically a
rising in the skin of the lower extremities. As a consequence of the a
cquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, an increasing numbe
r of patients have been found to have KS. In AIDS patients, KS appears
to exhibit a more diffuse nature and frequently affects the head and
neck. Mucosal lesions are most often seen, commonly involving the oral
cavity. Only rare cases of laryngeal involvement have been recorded i
n the literature. We report 2 cases of KS of the supraglottic larynx.
Our first patient, an elderly man of Mediterranean descent, complained
of voice change and throat discomfort. Endoscopy with biopsy for diag
nosis allowed conservative treatment with chemotherapy. Our second pat
ient was a younger man with AIDS who presented with symptoms of airway
obstruction. Management with carbon dioxide laser epiglottectomy was
successful in relieving that patient's symptoms. Although rare, KS may
present in both healthy and immunocompromised patients, and must be c
onsidered in the differential diagnosis of all violaceous lesions of t
he larynx.