The human herpesvirus 8 causes Kaposi’s sarcoma — a type of cancer. This disease appears in the form of red or purple patches on the skin, liver, mouth, lungs, or the gastrointestinal tract. This disease was first discovered in the year 1872. Back then it was not considered as a severe disease. But after the AIDS epidemic began, AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma was considered as a severe disease that could be life threatening.

Kaposi’s sarcoma results in formation of skin lesions that can be purple, brown, or red blotches. When these lesions develop in the lungs, digestive tract, or liver, they can cause serious symptoms like breathing difficulty or bleeding.

Types of Kaposi’s sarcoma
Classic Sarcoma : This is a rare type of cancer that grows very slowly into skin tumors. This type usually affects men of Italian or Eastern European origin.

African Sarcoma : This occurs in children or young adults residing in some parts of Africa. This is a slow growing tumor, but in rare cases, it may be aggressive and may even affect the bones.

Immunosuppressive treatment-related Kaposi’s sarcoma : Those who are on immunosuppressant medication after organ transplant may develop this type of sarcoma.

AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma : This type affects only those with HIV/AIDS. This is a rapidly progressing tumor that affects the lymph nodes, skin, gastrointestinal tract, spleen, liver, or lungs.

Causes of Kaposi’s sarcoma
Kaposi’s sarcoma is caused by the virus called Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). The cells that form the lining of blood and lymphatic vessels are infected with this virus. The virus causes abnormal division of these cells, and this increased division results in malignant cell formation.

Symptoms of Kaposi’s sarcoma
The first symptoms of Kaposi’s sarcoma are appearance of red, purple, or brown patches or nodules on the skin. These skin lesions look like bruises. In some types of the disease, the tumor grows very slowly, so for the symptoms to appear it will take a long time.

• As the disease progresses, the legs may also swell up. When it spreads to other organs, symptoms may appear depending on the affected organ.
• In AIDS-related sarcoma, the progression is very aggressive and it results in soft and spongy tumors or open ulcers. This type is not limited to the skin alone, it may affect the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, lungs, and the gastrointestinal tract. When it affects the lungs, symptoms like breathlessness, wheezing, shortness of breath may appear. When it affects the gastrointestinal tract, symptoms do not appear until the advanced stage.
• In advanced stages, symptoms like nausea, vomiting, bloody stools, and abdominal pain may develop. When the lymph nodes are affected by the sarcoma, there may be swelling in the legs and face.

Conclusion
Currently, there are no vaccines that provide protection against Kaposi’s sarcoma. The only way to prevent it is to prevent the spread of the disease. Those affected with HIV-related sarcoma need to follow strict preventive measures.