Glottic Kaposi's sarcoma

Kaposi’s sarcoma was first described by the Hungarian dermatologist Moritz Kaposi in 1872. This mysterious vascular tumor has since received increasing attention, especially after its association with AIDS was discovered in 1981. Kaposi’s sarcoma is an indicative disease of AIDS, which is clinically divided into four forms: the classic (Mediterranean), endemic (African), epidemic (HIV/ AIDS-associated), and iatrogenic (transplant-related). All four types share the same causative virus but have distinct epidemiological and clinical presentations [1,2]. Kaposi’s sarcoma is now considered as a low-grade vascular tumor and is caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus/human herpesvirus-8 (KSHV/HHV-8) infection [3,4]. It usually involves the skin, lymphatic system and viscera, most notably the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts [5–7], whereas involvement of the glottis alone is rare. In particular, acute laryngeal obstruction occurs when Kaposi’s sarcoma completely obstructs the glottis, which is life-threatening. This report summarized the clinical diagnosis and treatment of a case of AIDS complicated with glottic Kaposi’s sarcoma.