PATHOMORPHOLOGY OF VERRUCAE: A CLINICOPATHOLOGIC STUDY

Verrucae are benign squamous epithelial lesions affecting the skin and mucous membranes, as a result of infection with low-risk Human Papilloma virus, with an estimated 10% of the world's population affected. This work studies the clinicopathology of all histologically diagnosed warts at the Jos University Teaching Hospital between 1st January 2013 and 31st December 2022.

The study was a descriptive study of all histologically diagnosed cases of verrucae during the study period. Patients with histological diagnosis of verrucae were included, while those with inadequate biodata (age and sex), inadequate clinical information, and missing archival slides and tissue blocks were excluded from the study. Patients' age, gender, clinical characteristics (site and symptoms) and histological diagnosis were obtained from the records.

All 61 cases are of histologically diagnosed verrucae met the criteria for the study. These consisted of males 28 (45.9%), and 33 (54.1%) females. The age range, mean, median and modal age of the study were 1-70 years, 34.81+19.28years, 35.0 years, and 13.0 years, respectively. As much as 28 (45.9%) warts were seen between 30years and 49years of age. According to the anatomical site of occurrence, the lesions were broadly classified into cutaneous warts, 23 (37.7%) and anogenital warts, 38 (62.3%). Specifically, the vulva, penis, and other parts of the perineum were the sites with the highest frequency of wart accounting for 17 (27.9%), 6(9.8%), and 6 (9.8%) cases respectively. Bleeding, pain, itching, and cosmesis as a direct consequence of the lesion were reasons for clinical presentation, with cosmesis predominating (84.4%).

Warts in our environment is commoner in the anogenital region, the third and fourth decade of life, and in the female gender. Bleeding, pain, itching, and cosmesis were reasons for clinical presentation. Vaccination against the etiological agent of the disease is advised on a wide scale to reduce the incidence of this disturbing and distressing pathology.