Cutaneous neoplasms in a military population of HIV-1-positive patients. Military Medical Consortium for the Advancement of Retroviral Research.

BACKGROUND

In HIV-1-positive patients there have been no prospective studies that show an increase in cutaneous neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE

We observed HIV-1-positive patients to determine whether or not there was an increased incidence of cutaneous malignancies.

METHODS

A total of 724 HIV-1-positive patients were examined during a 36-month period for the development of cutaneous malignancies.

RESULTS

The most common cutaneous neoplasm found was Kaposi's sarcoma, especially in patients with late-stage disease. Basal cell carcinomas were the next most frequent tumor. We have also seen three malignant melanomas and two squamous cell carcinomas. Five patients had malignant lymphoma. One patient had a primary lymphoma of subcutaneous soft tissue; in one patient multiple cutaneous lesions developed.

CONCLUSION

The distribution and prevalent types of cutaneous neoplasms in HIV-1-positive patients appear to differ from those found in other immunosuppressed populations. This may be the result of the different patterns and periods of immunosuppression in these patients and/or associated cocarcinogens to which these patients frequently are exposed.