Koebner Phenomenon in Kaposi’s Sarcoma: A Large Single-Center Case Series and Review of Current Knowledge

Abstract

Backgroundoccasional case reports have described the appearance of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) on previously unaffected skin after incidental or accidental injury, but the association is probably under-reported.Objectivesto present a large case series of patients suffering from Koebner phenomenon (KP) in KS and describe their main epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic features.Methodswe have retrospectively analyzed our clinical and photographic records of 524 patients who had been diagnosed with KS between 2009 and 2021.Results31 of 524 (6%) KS patients developed KP. Among these 31 patients, 24 (77%) had KS lesions after surgery, 4 (13%) after electrochemotherapy, laser therapy and cryotherapy, and 3 (10%) on areas affected by bullous diseases.Conclusionstrauma, including surgery or other medical procedures, can trigger KS, underlying the importance of treatment options which cause the least injury to the skin.