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Potential human papillomavirus reactivation following topical corticosteroid therapy of genital lichen sclerosus and erosive lichen planus
Author(s) -
Von Krogh G,
DahlmanGhozlan K,
Syrjänen S
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of the european academy of dermatology and venereology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1468-3083
pISSN - 0926-9959
DOI - 10.1046/j.1468-3083.2002.00420.x
Subject(s) - medicine , lichen sclerosus , dermatology , sex organ , polymerase chain reaction , human papillomavirus , clobetasol propionate , genetics , biology , gene , psoriasis , biochemistry , chemistry
Abstract Using a highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, based on general GP5+/GP6+ PCR primers covering 34 different human papillomavirus (HPV) types, the presence of HPV DNA was studied in paraffin‐embedded penile biopsies from 20 men treated topically with corticosteroids. Clobetasol propionate was applied for 2–16 (mean 7) weeks by 19 men (age 18–73; mean 40) with lichen sclerosus. High‐risk HPV was detected prior to therapy in three patients (16%) who lacked clinical or histopathological signs of HPV infection. Following therapy high‐risk HPV was detected in biopsies from four men (21%), of whom three also exhibited clinical and/or light microscopic signs of HPV infection. Low‐risk HPV DNA was not detected in any of these samples. Four biopsies were collected during a 5‐year period from a 51‐year‐old man who was treated repeatedly with topical mild–moderate potent corticosteroids at intervals of up to 10 weeks for penile erosive lichen planus, followed by nine clinical outbreaks of typical condylomas that consistently showed the presence of low‐risk HPV DNA only. These observations indicate that long‐lasting topical corticosteroid therapy occasionally may be associated with opportunistic reactivation of a latent high‐ and low‐risk mucosotrophic HPV type infection. The importance of clinical follow‐up is underlined.