Myasthenia gravis developing in an HIV-negative patient with Kaposi’s sarcoma

• Published in: Neurological sciences Vol. 34; no. 7; pp. 1249 - 1250
• Main Authors: Mantero, Vittorio, Mascolo, Maria, Bandettini di Poggio, Monica, Caponnetto, Claudia, Pardini, Matteo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01.07.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: HIV Seronegativity - physiology; Humans; Letter to the Editor; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Myasthenia Gravis - blood; Myasthenia Gravis - diagnosis; Myasthenia Gravis - etiology; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Psychiatry; Sarcoma, Kaposi - blood; Sarcoma, Kaposi - complications; Sarcoma, Kaposi - diagnosis; Paraneoplastic syndromes; Myasthenia gravis; Vinblastine; Kaposi’s sarcoma
• ISSN: 1590-1874; 1590-3478; 1590-3478
• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-012-1201-z

Myasthenia gravis is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission caused by autoimmune mechanisms. We reported a possible association between seropositive myasthenia gravis and Kaposi’s sarcoma in a HIV-negative subject and the observed interactions between the treatment regimen for these two conditions. A 62-year-old man came to our attention for ocular myasthenia gravis. He suffered from a classic form of Kaposi’s sarcoma since about 1 year. When myasthenic symptoms worsened, the patient was started on prednisone and azathioprine. The patient had a significant worsening of Kaposi’s sarcoma, so prednisone and azathioprine were reduced and he was treated with vinblastine, with improvement both in dermatologic than in neurological symptomatology. We propose some considerations: the potential correlation between Kaposi’s sarcoma and myasthenia gravis through immunological mechanism; myasthenia gravis as a paraneoplastic manifestation of Kaposi’s sarcoma, and the role of an antitumoral agent as a treatment for both the conditions.