Kaposi Sarcoma — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateOral PathologyKaposi SarcomaMFDS Part 1

A patient living with HIV presents with a painless, slowly enlarging violaceous macule on the hard palate. The lesion does not blanch on pressure. What is the most likely diagnosis?

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Correct answer: B — Kaposi sarcoma

The diagnosis is Kaposi sarcoma. HIV-associated oral Kaposi sarcoma, driven by HHV-8 infection, characteristically produces painless red-brown or violaceous macules, plaques or nodules. The hard and soft palate are particularly common oral sites. A haemangioma may also appear blue-purple but is generally compressible or blanches with pressure and is often longstanding. A pyogenic granuloma is usually a red, friable, exophytic lesion that bleeds readily. A melanotic macule is typically a small, stable brown macule rather than a progressively enlarging violaceous lesion. Oral squamous cell carcinoma more commonly presents as a persistent indurated ulcer, irregular mass or mixed red-white lesion rather than a non-ulcerated violaceous macule.

Reference: Fatahzadeh M, Schwartz RA. Oral Kaposi's sarcoma: a review and update. International Journal of Dermatology. 2013;52:666–672. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23679875/