Effective outpatient treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma of the urethral meatus using the neodymium:YAG laser

The management of meatal obstruction due to Kaposi's sarcoma of the glans penis

Kaposi's sarcoma involving the glans penis was first described in 1902, with a subsequent report of meatal disease in 1943. With the recognition of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, genital lesions are becoming more frequently reported, with 51 cases cited in the literature. To date only 4 additional cases of meatal or fossa navicularis involvement have appeared in the literature, 3 of which described difficulty with micturition. We report a case of Kaposi's sarcoma involving the urethral meatus resulting in documented outflow obstruction, relieved with simple urethral serial dilation performed on an outpatient basis followed by intermittent obturation. We believe that this therapy represents a low risk, cost-effective treatment modality aimed at resolution of symptoms and alleviation of a potential source of infection in the patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.