Life-threatening Gastrointestinal Bleeding Secondary to Kaposi's Sarcoma of the Duodenum.

ABSTRACT

The use of antiretroviral therapy has decreased the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) complications. However, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is not uncommon. KS can involve any organ, including the gastrointestinal tract. The disease usually remains asymptomatic, but hemorrhages have been reported due to the hypervascular nature of the lesions. We report a case of a newly diagnosed HIV-infected patient, who presented with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. His bleeding had become life-threatening after an adequate endoscopic sampling of the lesions to the extent where he was transferred to the intensive care unit and required multiple units of blood product transfusion and a selective embolization by interventional radiology to achieve hemostasis.