Human papilloma virus is not prevalent in nevus sebaceus

Nevus sebaceus (NS) is a common congenital cutaneous hamartoma that typically presents on the scalp and face at birth or in early childhood. Occasionally NS can be associated with the Schimmelpenning-Feuerstein-Mims syndrome, which presents with concomitant severe neurologic, skeletal, cardiovascular, ophthalmic, and genitourologic disorders. In a previous study, maternal transmission of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and infection of ectodermal stem cells by HPV was postulated to result in the development of NS. In this study we aimed to determine the incidence of HPV infection in pediatric NS samples to further clarify the potential link between HPV and the pathogenesis of NS. NS tissue samples (N = 16) were analyzed for HPV DNA using type-specific, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18 and conventional PCR with modified general primers designed for broad-range HPV detection. The tissues were also histologically evaluated for evidence of HPV infection. HPV DNA was not detected in any of the NS tissue samples using PCR and HPV-associated histopathologic changes were absent in all 16 NS tissues. HPV infection is an unlikely etiologic cause of NS.