Introduction:

Kaposi sarcoma is a multifocal malignant neoplasm of endothelial cells which presents with characteristic lesions on the skin, mouth and lymph glands.

Objective:

Describe a case of Kaposi sarcoma with characteristics that hindered HIV infection diagnosis.

Case presentation:

A case is presented of a male 30-year-old patient recently diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and not following any treatment. The patient was referred to the maxillofacial surgery service for right cervical adenopathy biopsy. Physical examination revealed generalized edema in both lower limbs, with hyperpigmented lesions of macular and papular appearance and various shades of color. A purplish pigmented lesion was detected in the hard palate mucosa. The lesion covered the palatal midline and extended toward the left hemiarch. Exeresis of the adenopathy was performed for diagnostic purposes, confirming the diagnosis of Kaposi sarcoma.

Conclusions:

Lack of familiarity with the clinical characteristics of Kaposi sarcoma, and not performing a biopsy of the skin lesions and a complete examination of the oral cavity, made the neoplasm go unnoticed to routine medical tests, leading to low suspicion of HIV/AIDS infection and delaying timely treatment. In advanced immunosuppression, Kaposi sarcoma related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome tends to be more aggressive.

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