VAGINAL MICROPAPILLARY LESIONS ARE NOT RELATED TO HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION - IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION AND POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION DETECTION TECHNIQUES

The objective of this study was to assess the human papillomavirus DNA presence in vaginal papillary lesions, with particular regard to micr opapillomatosis to better define their clinical significance. Prospect ive study: the study population was composed of 62 women who were recr uited consecutively from the Colposcopy Centre of the Ancona Universit y, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, on the grounds of vaginal papillomatosis or/and typical acuminata warts. Biopsies for routine hi stology, and for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection by means of in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were taken f rom the papillary lesions and from 24 healthy women, who were selected as controls. Macroscopically, vaginal micropapillomatosis was ascerta ined in 51 cases (82.3%), while in 11 cases (17.7%)the colposcopic dia gnosis was condyloma acuminatum. During in situ hybridization, HPV DNA positivity was observed in 8 (9.4%) out of 85 samples of squamous pap illae and in 11 (64.7%) out of 17 samples of condylomata; in control s pecimens, HPV DNA was detected in 2 (8.3%) out of 24 bioptic samples. The correspondence between in situ hybridization and PCR was 96.1%, wi th 17.4% more diagnosis obtained by PCR. Vaginal micropapillomatosis m ay be regarded as a variation in the normal anatomy of the lower genit al tract without any significant relationship with HPV infection, and as a lesion easily distinguishable from condylomata acuminata by clini cal examination alone.