Local treatment of AIDS-associated bulky Kaposi’s sarcoma in the head and neck region

Abstract

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is frequently seen in the head and neck regions of HIV-infected patients. We report two cases of patients with AIDS who consulted the ENT clinic. One patient came to our clinic complaining of abnormal sensations in the pharynx, and dysphasia due to a gross KS in the oropharynx. The excision of the tumor improved the difficulty of swallowing. The other patient complained of masticatory problems and tongue pain due to a bulky KS on the dorsal side of the tongue. We treated the tongue lesion with intralesional chemotherapy. The administration of intralesional vinblastine resulted in a partial response. Unless systemic chemotherapy is effective enough to improve a functional disorder, it is thought that local therapy employing excision or intralesional chemotherapy is one of the common therapeutic option of the otolaryngologist, because this treatment avoids severe side effects caused by systemic chemotherapy or radiotherapy.