VULVAR VESTIBULITIS - LACK OF EVIDENCE FOR A HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS ETIOLOGY

Prompted by contradictory papers on the subject, we performed a prospe ctive study to assess the possible human papillomavirus (HPV) etiology of vulvar vestibulitis. Eleven patients with periglandular vestibulit is, as well as a control group of 11 patients with condylomata acumina ta, were selected. Biopsy specimens were taken for histologic and viro logic evaluation. One specimen of vestibulitis showed koilocytosis. Us ing the polymerase chain reaction, none of the vestibulitis specimens, including the one with koilocytosis, were found to harbor HPV DNA, wh ereas all the condylomata acuminata contained HPV 6/11 DNA. Our result s do not support an HPV etiology of vestibulitis.