KAPOSI SARCOMA IN AN IMMUNOSUPPRESSED PATIENT WITH PRESUMED CROHN’S DISEASE: IATROGENIC OR EPIDEMIC?

Biologic immunosuppression and HIV infection both carry risks of infection and malignancy. Small series suggest that patients living with well-controlled HIV may safely and efficaciously use biologics, like TNF-alpha inhibitors (TNF-I). However, no current U.S. guidelines exist to screen for HIV infection among high-risk groups prior to starting TNF-I. We describe the case of a patient who received TNF-I for Crohn’s Disease without any HIV testing, who developed potentially avoidable extensive Kaposi Sarcoma.

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