Angiosarcoma arising in Kaposi's sarcoma (pleomorphic Kaposi's sarcoma) in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus disease

Abstract

Discussion. A nonscalp hair infection by a dermatophyte is unusuaL It has been postulated that hairs in a resting state, such as those found in glabrous skin, do not provide a suitable for fungal growth.2 In fact, hairs that are not actively growing at the time of follicular invasion are not susceptible.2 Cell-mediated immunity may playa role in inhibiting club or vellus hair infection. Perhaps hair infection represents a balance between the substrate available in actively growing scalp hairs and the inhibitory effects produced by the immune system. A less likely possibility is that human immunodeficiency virus infection directly affects the composition of hair and thus more easily permits infection. In this case, we hypothesize that a compromised immune system allowed thefungus to grow inthepresenceofa reduced substrate.