Prevalence of human papillomavirus DNA in cholesteatomas

Cholesteatomas show histomorphological features like papillary growth and koilocytosis, which are characteristic of lesions induced by human papillomaviruses (HPV). Two previous studies investigating the possible role of HPV in the development of cholesteatoma had detected HPV-6 and HPV-11 DNA with a prevalence differing from 3 to 36%. The aim of the presented study was to evaluate the prevalence of different HPV types in cholesteatomas using a sensitive detection system for HPV DNA. Twenty-nine biopsies from cholesteatomas were screened for HPV DNA with a 2-step broad-spectrum PCR (PCR and nested PCR). HPV-positive products were directly sequenced by means of a cycle sequencing approach. Sensitivity of the applied broad-spectrum PCR was 0.1 copy/genome. One out of 29 biopsies showed a positive signal on the nested PCR level. Considering the low prevalence (1/29 biopsies) of detected HPV DNA in cholesteatomas, infections with common HPV types are unlikely to be a causative factor.