Failed Treatment of Classic Kaposi's Sarcoma with Topical Timolol: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Classic Kaposi's sarcoma (CKS) is an angioproliferative cutaneous neoplasm which currently lacks a well-defined treatment regimen. Because the disease is often localized, topical therapies offer therapeutic potential without the morbidity of systemic or surgical treatment. Timolol, a topical beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, has shown promise in the treatment of CKS in individual cases. Here we report a patient with classic Kaposi's sarcoma who failed treatment with 0.5% topical timolol three times daily for 12 weeks. Topical timolol use has been previously reported in eight patients with CKS who all responded to treatment with no adverse effects. Our divergent experience from the literature implies that while topical timolol may be an effective and safe treatment alternative to traditional therapies for patients with CKS, further prospective studies are needed.