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The Marseille Cancer Research Center celebrates its 50th anniversary ! -

Jan 2018 Clinical sarcoma research

Reversible rituximab-induced rectal Kaposi’s sarcoma misdiagnosed as ulcerative colitis in a patient with HIV-negative follicular lymphoma.

Authors

Billon E, Stoppa AM, Mescam L, Bocci M, Monneur A, Perrot D, Bertucci F

Summary

Kaposi’s sarcoma is a low-grade mesenchymal angioproliferative tumor, most commonly observed in immunocompromised individuals, such as HIV-infected patients. Iatrogenic Kaposi’s sarcoma occurs in patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapies. Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeted against the pan B cell marker CD20. Because of its immunosuppressive effects through reduction of mature B-cells, it may exacerbate Kaposi’s sarcoma in HIV-positive patients. Rituximab-related Kaposi’s sarcomas have been previously reported in only two HIV-negative patients and were treated surgically.

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