Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a type of cancer that can form masses in the skin, lymph nodes, or other organs. The skin lesions are usually purple in color. They can occur singularly, in a limited area, or be widespread.

This picture is of 36-year-old male patient with AIDS and Kaposi's sarcoma was referred for assessment for a 2-year clinical course characterized by painless papillomatous oral lesions. His sexual history included sex with men, and his partner had a history of anogenital warts. The patient was receiving antiretroviral therapy. The blood level of HIV type 1 was less than 20 copies per milliliter, and the CD4 + T lymphocyte count was 218 per milliliter. The physical examination revealed nodular verrucous lesions, labial and oral, consistent with condyloma acuminata.

Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies detected the human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 and confirm the diagnosis. During the following 2 years, the patient underwent several sessions of carbon dioxide laser therapy to eliminate oral lesions. Remember:

Warty lesions associated with HPV in patients who are confected with HIV may be more persistent, extensive and aggressive than in patients without HIV infection. A compromised immune system (a CD4 + T cell count of