DETECTION OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS IN LARYNGEAL LESIONS BY IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with human neoplasms of squam ous epithelium. Squamous papillomas and verrucous carcinomas are two t ypes of squamous neoplasms of the larynx that present difficult proble ms in differential diagnosis. Using in situ hybridization with biotiny lated DNA probes, we examined benign squamous papillomas and verrucous squamous carcinomas of the larynx for the presence of HPV. Forty-two biopsy specimens from 18 patients with laryngeal papillomas and 11 bio psy specimens from seven patients with verrucous carcinomas were obtai ned from the files of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Tissue sections were hybridized with an HPV DNA cocktail. The HPV-positive ca ses then were subtyped further with DNA probes specific for HPV subtyp es 6/11, 16/18, and 31/33/35. Ah benign squamous papillomas (42 of 42) were positive for HPV subtype 6/11. None of the verrucous carcinomas contained demonstrable HPV (none of 11). Some of the squamous papillom as were recurrences, which shows the persistence of the virus. These r esults indicate that laryngeal papillomas may be related to HPV, but v errucous carcinomas are not. Copyright (C) 1994 by W.B. Saunders Compa ny