Kaposi's Sarcoma -- What's Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Got to Do with It?

Angiogenesis, the process of new capillary development, is normally controlled, limited, and dependent on a balance between stimulatory and inhibitory factors. In men, wound healing is the only physiologic example of this process after birth, whereas in women angiogenesis is also necessary for ovulation, the formation of the corpus luteum, and placental development.Angiogenesis is an essential feature of many diseases, among which are cancers, various retinopathies, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and atherosclerosis.1 In these pathologic states, the balance between stimulatory and inhibitory factors favors persistent capillary growth. We can view Kaposi's sarcoma, with its abundant slit-like vascular spaces, proliferating spindle . . .