MRI findings of AIDS-related giant facial Kaposi's sarcoma: A case report

RATIONALE: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common malignant tumor in HIV-infected people and occurs mainly in the skin, mucous membranes, and lymph nodes. Approximately 33% of the initial skin manifestations of AIDS and approximately 35% to 79% of KS occur during disease progression. Otherwise, AIDS-related facial KS that was simultaneously examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is rare. PATIENT CONCERNS: This case was a 30-year-old male homosexual, with left facial nodule for 14 months, and HIV infection was diagnosed 1 month previously. The patient was admitted to hospital because the nodule gradually expanded from 0.2 to 10.0 cm in diameter. Ultrasound examination showed edema of the subcutaneous tissue of the left facial mass, and the boundary was not clear between lesion and normal tissues. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated that the left facial mass showed low signal intensity on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), and a small amount of high signal intensity was seen in it. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) showed low signal intensity. After enhanced scan, the tumor showed uneven enhancement. DIAGNOSES: The pathological biopsy indicated KS. INTERVENTIONS: The patient began chemotherapy with the intravenous drip infusion of Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome. OUTCOMES: The facial KS decreased and the facial swelling was relieved. LESSONS: MRI could not only provide the diagnostic basis of KS for the therapy, but also could accurately determine the scope of the disease.