Prevalence of Kaposi's sarcoma among adult HIV-seropositive patients seen in a designated HIV treatment and care center in Abuja, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

There is a dearth of information on the prevalence of AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (AAKS) in Nigeria despite the HIV National seroprevalence of 5% and the occurrence of the disease in people living with HIV/AIDS.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of AAKS among HIV-seropositive adults seen in an HIV/AIDS treatment and care center in Abuja, Nigeria.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective study of all cases seen over a period of 42 months.

METHOD

Medical records of the 1591 patients comprising 857 males and 734 females were reviewed, and relevant data such as age, sex, CD4 count at diagnosis of AAKS were obtained and analyzed.

RESULTS

A prevalence of 0.8% was found, with a male:female ratio of 2:1. Females presented at earlier ages and relatively lower CD4 count than did males.

CONCLUSION

Easy access to antiretroviral medications and a well-targeted education and awareness campaign will help reduce the incidence and prevalence of the disease. The inability to perform histologic examinations on all suspected cases calls for a well-designed prospective study to determine the actual prevalence of Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV-seropositive patients in Nigeria.