Kaposi's sarcoma

American  

[kuh-poh-seez, kap-uh-] / kəˈpoʊ siz, ˈkæp ə- /

noun

Pathology.

1. a cancer of connective tissue characterized by painless, purplish-red to brown plaquelike or pimply lesions on the extremities, trunk, or head, and sometimes involving the lungs, viscera, etc., occurring in a mild form among older men of certain Mediterranean and central African populations and in a more virulent form among persons with AIDS.

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Kaposi's sarcoma British  

/ kæˈpəʊsɪz /

noun

1. a form of skin cancer found in Africans and more recently in victims of AIDS

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Etymology

Origin of Kaposi's sarcoma

After Hungarian dermatologist Moritz Kaposi, or Moriz Kohn (1837–1902), who described it in 1872

Example Sentences

The company reported the second Kaposi’s sarcoma case at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

They have two viruses in their sights: murine leukemia virus and Kaposi's sarcoma virus.

From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024

The following year, while in Tokyo, he discovered a small purple spot on his leg that, when he returned to New York, was confirmed as Kaposi’s sarcoma.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2024

These illnesses included Kaposi’s sarcoma, a rare cancer that produces purple skin lesions, and a form of pneumonia that generally occurs only in people with severely compromised immune systems.

From Washington Post • Jan. 27, 2021

A few days later, a cluster of eight cases was reported in New York City, also involving young patients, this time exhibiting a rare form of skin cancer known as Kaposi’s sarcoma.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013