Primary lymph nodal Kaposi's sarcoma of the parotid gland

Abstract

Two cases of Kaposi's sarcoma arising within intraparotid lymph nodes are presented. The tumor masses, clinically thought to be primary epithelial tumors of the parotid gland, were pathologically defined as Kaposi's sarcoma. No other evidence of this disease has been found elsewhere in either of the two patients studied. Immunologic studies performed in both patients demonstrated a depression of T-lymphocyte function and altered cell-mediated immunity in one. Search of the medical literature shows that these are the first two reported cases of Kaposi's sarcoma arising within lymph nodes of salivary glands.