Imaging techniques for Kaposi's sarcoma.

Abstract

Kaposi[']s sarcoma (KS) is a multicentric tumour that most frequently involves the skin but can involve other tissues as well. Clinicians treating patients with KS or conducting clinical trials in this disease can benefit from imaging studies to document the extent of disease, to document changes with therapy, and to assess the extent of visceral and lymphatic involvement. A number of conventional techniques can be of use in meeting these needs, such as conventional light photography to assess skin or mucosal lesions, computed tomography of the chest to assess pulmonary disease, and magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, a number of techniques are being developed with the goals of providing improved differentiation of KS from other diseases or providing information about the degree of angiogenesis in the lesions and other physiological factors. We present here an overview of both established and experimental modalities of imaging in KS.