Pulsed-dye laser therapy for cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS-KS) are disfiguring.

OBJECTIVE

This study assesses the response of AIDS-KS to pulsed-dye laser (PDL) therapy.

METHODS

The PDL was used to treat 15 AIDS-KS patients. Treatment was repeated at 4-week intervals. On average, patients received three treatments per treated lesion.

RESULTS

At 6 weeks' follow-up, the patients' treated lesions were reduced in size when compared with their matched control lesions (p less than 0.002). A complete or partial clinical response occurred in 44% of treated lesions (17 of 39) compared with 18% of matched control lesions (7 of 39) [corrected]. Patients experienced limited pain, infrequent blistering, and no scarring. However, histopathologic findings of treated lesions throughout therapy correlated poorly with clinical response. At 12 weeks, all treated lesions had recurred.

CONCLUSION

PDL therapy for AIDS-KS is not recommended. Although safe, the rapid recurrence of disease at initially responsive sites would require costly, long-term therapy to maintain cosmetic improvement.