A rare case of laryngeal Kaposi's sarcoma

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common malignancy observed in patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It rarely causes upper airway obstruction. We report a 39-year-old gentleman, a former intravenous drug user with AIDS and Hepatitis C positive who developed progressive hoarseness with stidor. He underwent an emergency tracheostomy and direct laryngoscopy revealed a whitish globular laryngeal mass obscuring the glottic region. A biopsy of the mass was taken and the histopathological report showed evidence of spindle cell connective tissue, consistent with Kaposi's sarcoma. It is important for clinicians or surgeons to maintain a high index of suspicion for the diagnosis of laryngeal KS in immunodeficiency patient even without cutaneous manifestation.