Kaposi’s Sarcoma: Demographic and Clinical Features, Histopathology, Treatment, and Outcomes in a 10-Year Lisbon Hospital Study

Introduction: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a rare angioproliferative neoplasm associated with human herpesvirus 8 infection, presenting as four subtypes: classic, endemic, iatrogenic, and epidemic. While well documented globally, comprehensive data on KS in Portugal remain scarce. The aim of this retro...

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Main Authors: Inês Pereira Amaral, Ivânia Soares, Madalena Pupo Correia, Inês Tribolet Abreu, Filipe Monteiro, Joana Antunes, Nuno Manso, Pedro de Vasconcelos, Luís Soares de Almeida, Paulo Filipe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ordem dos Médicos 2025-06-01
Series:Acta Médica Portuguesa
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Online Access:https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/17991
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author Inês Pereira Amaral
Ivânia Soares
Madalena Pupo Correia
Inês Tribolet Abreu
Filipe Monteiro
Joana Antunes
Nuno Manso
Pedro de Vasconcelos
Luís Soares de Almeida
Paulo Filipe
author_facet Inês Pereira Amaral
Ivânia Soares
Madalena Pupo Correia
Inês Tribolet Abreu
Filipe Monteiro
Joana Antunes
Nuno Manso
Pedro de Vasconcelos
Luís Soares de Almeida
Paulo Filipe
author_sort Inês Pereira Amaral
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a rare angioproliferative neoplasm associated with human herpesvirus 8 infection, presenting as four subtypes: classic, endemic, iatrogenic, and epidemic. While well documented globally, comprehensive data on KS in Portugal remain scarce. The aim of this retrospective study was to provide a detailed analysis of KS cases diagnosed at Hospital Santa Maria, in Lisbon, between 2014 and 2023. Methods: A total of 113 histopathologically confirmed KS cases were included, focusing on demographic, clinical, and histopathological characteristics, as well as treatment strategies and outcomes. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 59.4 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 4.4:1. Most patients (50.4%) were of African origin. Epidemic KS (45.1%) was the most prevalent subtype. Lesions mainly affected the lower limbs (47.8%), and disseminated, mucosal, and extracutaneous involvement were more common in HIV-positive patients. Tumor-stage lesions were frequent (59.3%). Single-modality treatment was used in 53.1% of cases, while 40.7% required combined therapies. Relapse rates were highest in endemic (39.1%) and iatrogenic KS (28.6%) subtypes. The disease-specific mortality rate was 8%. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KS remains a significant concern, particularly in immunosuppressed patients. Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management are essential to improve outcomes. However, limitations such as potential biases from its retrospective design and the single-center scope should be considered.
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spelling doaj-art-0171e9ff52dd440ea6cb7ae1f05654a32025-08-20T02:10:14ZengOrdem dos MédicosActa Médica Portuguesa0870-399X1646-07582025-06-0110.20344/amp.17991Kaposi’s Sarcoma: Demographic and Clinical Features, Histopathology, Treatment, and Outcomes in a 10-Year Lisbon Hospital StudyInês Pereira Amaral0Ivânia Soares1Madalena Pupo Correia2Inês Tribolet Abreu3Filipe Monteiro4Joana Antunes5Nuno Manso6Pedro de Vasconcelos7Luís Soares de Almeida8Paulo Filipe9Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal; Radiology Department. Hospital CUF Tejo. Lisboa. Portugal.Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal.Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal.Dermatology Department. Hospital Santa Maria. Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria. Lisboa. Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade de Lisboa. Lisboa. Portugal. Introduction: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a rare angioproliferative neoplasm associated with human herpesvirus 8 infection, presenting as four subtypes: classic, endemic, iatrogenic, and epidemic. While well documented globally, comprehensive data on KS in Portugal remain scarce. The aim of this retrospective study was to provide a detailed analysis of KS cases diagnosed at Hospital Santa Maria, in Lisbon, between 2014 and 2023. Methods: A total of 113 histopathologically confirmed KS cases were included, focusing on demographic, clinical, and histopathological characteristics, as well as treatment strategies and outcomes. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 59.4 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 4.4:1. Most patients (50.4%) were of African origin. Epidemic KS (45.1%) was the most prevalent subtype. Lesions mainly affected the lower limbs (47.8%), and disseminated, mucosal, and extracutaneous involvement were more common in HIV-positive patients. Tumor-stage lesions were frequent (59.3%). Single-modality treatment was used in 53.1% of cases, while 40.7% required combined therapies. Relapse rates were highest in endemic (39.1%) and iatrogenic KS (28.6%) subtypes. The disease-specific mortality rate was 8%. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that KS remains a significant concern, particularly in immunosuppressed patients. Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management are essential to improve outcomes. However, limitations such as potential biases from its retrospective design and the single-center scope should be considered. https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/17991Sarcoma, Kaposi/diagnosisSarcoma, Kaposi/epidemiologySarcoma, Kaposi/pathologySarcoma, Kaposi/therapy
spellingShingle Inês Pereira Amaral
Ivânia Soares
Madalena Pupo Correia
Inês Tribolet Abreu
Filipe Monteiro
Joana Antunes
Nuno Manso
Pedro de Vasconcelos
Luís Soares de Almeida
Paulo Filipe
Kaposi’s Sarcoma: Demographic and Clinical Features, Histopathology, Treatment, and Outcomes in a 10-Year Lisbon Hospital Study
Acta Médica Portuguesa
Sarcoma, Kaposi/diagnosis
Sarcoma, Kaposi/epidemiology
Sarcoma, Kaposi/pathology
Sarcoma, Kaposi/therapy
title Kaposi’s Sarcoma: Demographic and Clinical Features, Histopathology, Treatment, and Outcomes in a 10-Year Lisbon Hospital Study
title_full Kaposi’s Sarcoma: Demographic and Clinical Features, Histopathology, Treatment, and Outcomes in a 10-Year Lisbon Hospital Study
title_fullStr Kaposi’s Sarcoma: Demographic and Clinical Features, Histopathology, Treatment, and Outcomes in a 10-Year Lisbon Hospital Study
title_full_unstemmed Kaposi’s Sarcoma: Demographic and Clinical Features, Histopathology, Treatment, and Outcomes in a 10-Year Lisbon Hospital Study
title_short Kaposi’s Sarcoma: Demographic and Clinical Features, Histopathology, Treatment, and Outcomes in a 10-Year Lisbon Hospital Study
title_sort kaposi s sarcoma demographic and clinical features histopathology treatment and outcomes in a 10 year lisbon hospital study
topic Sarcoma, Kaposi/diagnosis
Sarcoma, Kaposi/epidemiology
Sarcoma, Kaposi/pathology
Sarcoma, Kaposi/therapy
url https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.php/amp/article/view/17991
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