Symptomatic pulmonary allograft Kaposi's sarcoma in two lung transplant recipients

Am J Transplant. 2008 Sep;8(9):1951-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2008.02345.x.

Abstract

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is associated with solid-organ transplantation, but is extremely rare after lung transplantation. In this report, we describe two unique cases of lung transplant recipients who developed KS in the lung allograft and were treated with sirolimus and liposomal doxorubicin. One patient survived 12 months after the diagnosis of KS; the other survived 3 months after diagnosis and was found to have concomitant EBV-negative, HHV-8-positive B-cell lymphoma. We demonstrate a partial response of pulmonary KS to reduced immunosuppression and the initiation of sirolimus in one patient, as well as an association between increasing HHV-8 viremia and progression of pulmonary KS. Our report highlights the importance of secondary malignancies in patients with transplant-related KS and supports the association between HHV-8 infection and EBV-negative PTLD.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Doxorubicin / therapeutic use
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / virology*
  • Lung Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Radiography
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / diagnostic imaging
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / pathology
  • Sarcoma, Kaposi / virology*
  • Sirolimus / therapeutic use
  • Tissue Donors*
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Transplants / virology*
  • Viral Load

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Doxorubicin
  • Sirolimus