Chylous ascites resulting from Kaposi's sarcoma in an AIDS patient.

Chylous ascites is an entity not previously reported in association with AIDS. A 43-yr-old male with previous diagnosis of AIDS developed chylous ascites. Septic complications lead to his death. At autopsy, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) lesions were present on the skin, in the omentum, mesentery, and small and large bowel mucosa. A histological section of the cisterna chyli showed involvement and obstruction by KS. This represents a unique case in which the mechanism leading to the formation of chylous ascites by KS was demonstrated by the autopsy findings in an HIV-positive patient.