Changes of epidermodysplasia verruciformis in benign skin lesions: the EV acanthoma

Foci of histological changes of epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) were noted in five benign skin lesions. These skin lesions included an intradermal nevus, a pigmented seborrheic keratosis, an isolated papule on the forearm, a perianal lesion, and an acantholytic acanthoma. Because the changes resembled true EV so strongly despite the absence of clinical EV in these patients, we searched for EV-human papilloma virus (HPV) types in these skin lesions. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis on the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks was performed. As a positive control, we included tissue from two HIV-positive patients with clinical EV proven by biopsy. Studies were also performed on five other archived biopsies that did not show changes of EV on multiple tissue sections. A nested PCR method detected EV-HPV types in three of the five benign skin lesions showing EV changes as well as in the positive controls. EV changes and EV-HPV can be found incidentally on biopsy in the absence of clinical EV; when such changes are the major histopathological finding in an isolated skin lesion, the lesion should be termed an EV acanthoma.