Human papillomavirus type 6 infection involving cutaneous nongenital sites

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6 is classically considered a mucosatropic virus. Interestingly, clinical manifestations of HPV 6 infection that involve nonmucosal or nongenital sites have rarely been described. The reasons for this site specific infectivity of HPV 6 are unknown. We describe a patient who had condylomata acuminata-like lesions that involved cutaneous nongenital sites; HPV 6 DNA was detected in skin biopsy specimens with use of the polymerase chain reaction, followed by hybridization with use of type-specific DNA probes.