Even though researchers can now check for KSHV in blood samples, no test
is routinely available to health-care providers. Even if these tests were
widely available, it's important to note that being infected with KSHV
does not mean that KS will occur, even if the immune system becomes suppressed.
KS lesions on the skin are usually diagnosed by biopsy. To conduct a
biopsy, a health-care provider – either a primary-care doctor, an
oncologist, a dermatologist, or a surgeon – takes a small piece of
the lesion and has it examined in a laboratory. The report generated by
the lab will determine what kind of tumor it is.
To diagnose pulmonary KS, a scope – called a bronchoscope –
can be passed down the windpipe into the lungs to determine if lesions
are present. X-ray can also be used to check the lungs for KS.
KS of the gut is usually diagnosed using scopes placed down the back
of the throat or through the rectum (endoscopy). KS in the gut has a unique
appearance, thus a biopsy is usually not necessary.
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