[Lymph drainage with secondary lymphedema caused by Kaposi sarcoma].

Abstract

For reasons not yet known HIV infected patients in the final state of their aids disease often tend to develop Kaposi's sarcoma. These tumours result in secondary lymphatic edema which is found on both sides of the sarcoma up to the regional lymphatic nodes, transferred by the tumour cells. Depending on the state of the edema, a lymph drainage treatment is indicated palliatively; the patients can thus be relieved. A fundamental deterioration of the prognosis is not to be expected, the more as all patients are in the final state of this not yet curable disease. Differing from treatment of other lymphatic edema, it is of special importance to the therapist--apart from the difficult and specifically psychic burden--to pay attention to a protection from infection by gloves as a precaution for each single treatment.