Divergent clinical course of epidermodysplasia verruciformis in siblings

Abstract

In 1960, when he was 5 years old. Patient 1 was first noted to have plane wart‐like lesions on the dorsum of his hands and on the back of his neck. He was seen at age 14 when he presented with pityriasis versicolor‐like lesions on his trunk and persistent warts on his hands and neck. A biopsy confirmed the clinical diagnosis of epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV); however, he was lost to follow‐up until age 30 when he presented with hundreds of plane wart‐like lesions on his face, neck, and hands, as well as reddish scaly plaques on his trunk, arms, and forearms. One of the plaques on his right forearm was confirmed to be Bowen's disease on biopsy. He received treatment with etretinate 1 mg/kg per day for 8 months. He did not develop any new lesions while on the drug; however, he was lost to follow‐up again for another 8 years until he was 38 (Fig. 1), when he presented with an invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on the dorsum of his right hand. Patient 1 is the eldest of six siblings (two men, and four women). His brother, who is 5 years younger, is Patient 2. No other members of the family are affected so far. Our patients are a product of a consanguineous marriage of first cousins. Patient 2 was first documented with symptoms of his disease at approximately age 6. He was seen on one occasion when he was 9 years old with pityriasis versicolor‐like lesions on his trunk. He was not seen again until age 25, when he presented with several verrucous tumors on his right upper and lower and left lower eyelids, dorsum of nose, and right retroauricular zone; he also had hundreds of reddish, scaly, pityriasis versicolor‐like lesions on his trunk, arms, and forearms and warts on his wrists and dorsum of his hands. Biopsies showed invasive SCCs of his nose, right eyelids, and retroauricular zone, as well as Bowen's disease of the lower left eyelid and suprasternal area. He was treated surgically and alo given etretinate 1 mg/kg per day for 8 months during which no new lesions were detected. At age 27, he had a recurrence of nasal SCC. He was treated surgically and with methotrexate but, as tumor progression was noted and not having anything better to offer our patient, it was then decided to treat him with radiotherapy. One year later he presented with a second recurrence of SCC and since then has never been without midfacial aggresive tumor activity; he was treated again, first surgically and then using chemotherapy with methotrexate and 5‐fiuorouracil. Two years later, at age 32, he developed a third recurrence of his midfacial SCC affecting his glabellar zone, left malar area, and upper lip. The first two tumors responded well to surgery; the third one (upper lip) recurred so he received radiotherapy once again. He then received interferon alpha 2b 5 million units, three times a week for 12 months; during this time he developed SCO in his right ear, upper lip (both treated surgically and with radiotherapy), neck, and wrist (treated surgically). He is now 35 years old. In order to identify human papillomaviruses (HPV...

The oncogenic potential of human papillomaviruses: a review on the role of host genetics and environmental cofactors

“…Keratinocytes infected with high‐risk HPV types typically undergo apoptosis, whereas cells infected with EV‐HPV types are damaged but do not undergo apoptosis. Instead, these keratinocytes begin to demonstrate increased oncogene expression without viral integration 93 …”

“…Instead, these keratinocytes begin to demonstrate increased oncogene expression without viral integration. 93 Tobacco Tobacco smoke has long been implicated as a carcinogenic factor. Six decades ago, tar was reported to be carcinogenic in rabbit papillomas.…”

Autosomal dominant epidermodysplasia verruciformis: A clinicotherapeutic experience in two cases

“…occurs in 30-70% cases; this may require over 20 years for such conversion or occurs when the lesions have been present for 10 years or so, or usually in third and fourth decades of life. [18][19][20] It has been suggested that actinic damage is perhaps the pathogenic mechanism involved in malignant transformation of lesions over extremities and forehead. [18,21] However, bowenoid lesions over vulva and/or periungual skin, body parts not directly exposed to sun, have been documented and are attributed due to physical trauma.…”

“…This malignant transformation largely depends upon the oncogenic potential of the infecting virus. To date >100 HPV types have been identified but mostly HPV 3,5,8,9,10,12,14,17,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25]28 and 29 are related to EV [1][2][3] and more than one HPV type may be present simultaneously in the same patient. HPV 5 and 8 are the main types incriminated for the malignant transformation in about 25% of EV patients.…”

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis with severe hands and feet deformity successfully treated by surgical excision

“…In some patients, when the above measures fail or are unsuitable, surgical excision may be a final option. [2][3][4][5] Severe vegetating forms of warts are rare in EV. Our patient had severe vegetating warts causing functional disability.…”