[Kaposi's sarcoma complicating long-term corticotherapy for severe asthma]. / Sarcome de Kaposi compliquant une corticothérapie au long cours pour asthme sévère.

Kaposi's sarcoma frequently develops in patients with immune deficiency which may be drug-induced (corticosteroids, immunodepressants). We report a case of Kaposi's sarcoma in a 75-year old man who had been taking oral prednisone continually for 7 years as treatment of severe asthma. Data from the literature clearly show that corticosteroid therapy may trigger the development of Kaposi's sarcoma in patients who usually possess several other pathogenetic factors of that disease, such as pre-existing immune deficiency, environmental (viruses) or genetic factors. In some cases, withdrawing corticosteroids may result in complete remission of the cutaneous lesions.