Spontaneous Regression of Oral Kaposi Sarcoma in an HIV Negative Male

Isabella C. Galina; Selenne Romero-Servin; Kevin Arce; Angela Rake; Ioannis G. Koutlas

doi:10.1007/s12105-025-01832-9

Spontaneous Regression of Oral Kaposi Sarcoma in an HIV Negative Male

Isabella C. Galina
, Selenne Romero-Servin
, Kevin Arce
, Angela Rake
, Ioannis G. Koutlas

Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Oral Kaposi sarcoma is a slowly progressing, HHV-8 related angioproliferative disorder strongly associated with immunosuppression. Regression can occur with treatment. We present a 49-year-old HIV-seronegative Caucasian male individual with two rapidly enlarging OKS lesions that spontaneously regressed and completely resolved without treatment after a few months. The individual was under treatment with valacyclovir for herpes simplex infection and was receiving emtricitabine/tenofovir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Only the mandibular lesion was biopsied, revealing classic endothelial spindle cell proliferation with formation of slit-like spaces and multiple newly formed vessels. Nuclear HHV-8 was immunohistochemically confirmed. Serologic tests prior to and after the development of OKS did not reveal HIV infection. Emtricitabine/tenofovir prophylactic treatment may have contributed to the remission and resolution.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	97
Journal	Head and Neck Pathology
Volume	19
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12105-025-01832-9
State	Published - Dec 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Emtricitabine/tenofovir
HHV8
HIV
Kaposi sarcoma
Regression

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article
Case Reports

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10.1007/s12105-025-01832-9

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title = "Spontaneous Regression of Oral Kaposi Sarcoma in an HIV Negative Male",

abstract = "Oral Kaposi sarcoma is a slowly progressing, HHV-8 related angioproliferative disorder strongly associated with immunosuppression. Regression can occur with treatment. We present a 49-year-old HIV-seronegative Caucasian male individual with two rapidly enlarging OKS lesions that spontaneously regressed and completely resolved without treatment after a few months. The individual was under treatment with valacyclovir for herpes simplex infection and was receiving emtricitabine/tenofovir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Only the mandibular lesion was biopsied, revealing classic endothelial spindle cell proliferation with formation of slit-like spaces and multiple newly formed vessels. Nuclear HHV-8 was immunohistochemically confirmed. Serologic tests prior to and after the development of OKS did not reveal HIV infection. Emtricitabine/tenofovir prophylactic treatment may have contributed to the remission and resolution.",

keywords = "Emtricitabine/tenofovir, HHV8, HIV, Kaposi sarcoma, Regression",

author = "Galina, \{Isabella C.\} and Selenne Romero-Servin and Kevin Arce and Angela Rake and Koutlas, \{Ioannis G.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.",

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month = dec,

doi = "10.1007/s12105-025-01832-9",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "19",

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AU - Galina, Isabella C.

AU - Romero-Servin, Selenne

AU - Arce, Kevin

AU - Rake, Angela

AU - Koutlas, Ioannis G.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Oral Kaposi sarcoma is a slowly progressing, HHV-8 related angioproliferative disorder strongly associated with immunosuppression. Regression can occur with treatment. We present a 49-year-old HIV-seronegative Caucasian male individual with two rapidly enlarging OKS lesions that spontaneously regressed and completely resolved without treatment after a few months. The individual was under treatment with valacyclovir for herpes simplex infection and was receiving emtricitabine/tenofovir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Only the mandibular lesion was biopsied, revealing classic endothelial spindle cell proliferation with formation of slit-like spaces and multiple newly formed vessels. Nuclear HHV-8 was immunohistochemically confirmed. Serologic tests prior to and after the development of OKS did not reveal HIV infection. Emtricitabine/tenofovir prophylactic treatment may have contributed to the remission and resolution.

AB - Oral Kaposi sarcoma is a slowly progressing, HHV-8 related angioproliferative disorder strongly associated with immunosuppression. Regression can occur with treatment. We present a 49-year-old HIV-seronegative Caucasian male individual with two rapidly enlarging OKS lesions that spontaneously regressed and completely resolved without treatment after a few months. The individual was under treatment with valacyclovir for herpes simplex infection and was receiving emtricitabine/tenofovir for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Only the mandibular lesion was biopsied, revealing classic endothelial spindle cell proliferation with formation of slit-like spaces and multiple newly formed vessels. Nuclear HHV-8 was immunohistochemically confirmed. Serologic tests prior to and after the development of OKS did not reveal HIV infection. Emtricitabine/tenofovir prophylactic treatment may have contributed to the remission and resolution.

KW - Emtricitabine/tenofovir

KW - HHV8

KW - HIV

KW - Kaposi sarcoma

KW - Regression

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012753021

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012753021#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1007/s12105-025-01832-9

DO - 10.1007/s12105-025-01832-9

M3 - Article

C2 - 40767917

AN - SCOPUS:105012753021

SN - 1936-055X

VL - 19

JO - Head and Neck Pathology

JF - Head and Neck Pathology

IS - 1

M1 - 97

ER -

Spontaneous Regression of Oral Kaposi Sarcoma in an HIV Negative Male

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Publisher link

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