Kaposi's sarcoma in the oral and maxillofacial region: A forgotten neoplasia

© 2017 SECOM HIV-AIDS is still a worldwide public health problem. In 2014, 9,888 new cases were reported in Mexico, and it is estimated that half of those patients are unaware they suffer the disease. Kaposi's sarcoma associated with AIDS (KS-AIDS) is an indicator of the progression of this disease and immunosuppression. Although the incidence of KS-AIDS in the oral cavity has drastically decreased since the universal access to highly active antiretroviral treatment, several studies in Mexico City have reported an incidence of this neoplasia of 5%. The immune reconstitution syndrome associated with KS-AIDS and facial lymphoedema is a potentially life-threatening complication. Lack of training in the diagnosis of KS-AIDS, as well as its relatively low incidence, may cause this neoplasia to go unnoticed by the clinician, this being a clinical sign of immunosuppression. This article presents a review of oral KS associated to AIDS.