Organ Transplantation & Graft Rejections

Kaposi Sarcoma in case of solid organ transplantation

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a soft tissue cancer that is related to several intrinsic and environ­mental factors. In the general population, KS is an extremely rare tumor, however, the risk of its development is substantially increased in immune compromised patients including patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and solid organ recipients. Genetic predisposition, seropositivity for human herpes virus type HHV, and increased HHV prevalence in the general population are some proposed factors for the development of KS. Middle East is reported as a highly prevalent region for the incidence of post-transplant KS, reports from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey indicate a high incidence of this disease. Kaposi sarcoma was first described by Moritz Kaposi in the 1870, the disease was a medical curiosity in Europe and the United States until the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was recognized in 1981.