MASTICATION OF VERRUCA VULGARIS ASSOCIATED WITH ESOPHAGEAL PAPILLOMA - HPV-45 SEQUENCES DETECTED IN ORAL AND CUTANEOUS TISSUES

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are double-stranded, circular, epithelio tropic DNA viruses of which nearly 70 types have been identified. Spec ific HPV types exhibit a predilection to infect certain sites; however , occurrence is not unique or restricted to these sites. HPV typing ma y also be helpful in determining the oncogenic potential of HPV lesion s. The most common HPV types, 6 and 11, are associated with benign muc osal lesions, whereas types 18, 16, 31, and 33 are thought to confer a high rate of malignant transformation. We describe a patient with bot h palmar verrucae and esophageal papillomatosis that proved to be HPV type 45 by polymerase chain reaction. HPV 45 has a high homology to HP V 18 and is a member of the relatively new ''high-risk'' mucosal HPV f amily in terms of cervical oncogenic potential. To our knowledge, HPV 45 has never been reported in cutaneous warts or esophageal lesions.