Kaposi's sarcoma in Uganda: A clinico‐pathological study

Abstract Thirty‐seven Ugandan Africans with Kaposi's sarcoma were studied prospectively and a clinical classification was devised based on the clinical presentation of the disease and the appearance of the cutaneous tumours. The disease could be sub‐classified into four major groups. The first consisted of patients with nodular disease which was associated with a relatively benign clinical course. Patients in the next two groups (florid and infiltrative) had more aggressive disease with extensive cutaneous lesions on one or more extremities, generally associated with involvement of adjacent bone. Cutaneous lesions in the florid group were exophytic tumours while in the infiltrative group deep lesions associated with dense fibrosis predominated, Finally, the lymph‐adenopathic variety occurred mainly in children where lymph‐node involvement was usually the sole manifestation, and in young adults where skin involvement was seen concomitantly. Differing histological patterns were found to correlate with the four clinical types of involvement.