PATHOMORPHOLOGY OF VERRUCAE: A CLINICOPATHOLOGIC STUDY.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pathology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Verrucae, caused by Human Papilloma virus (HPV), are common skin lesions affecting 10% of the global population.
• This study focuses on the clinicopathological characteristics of histologically diagnosed warts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the clinicopathology of verrucae diagnosed at Jos University Teaching Hospital.
• To identify demographic and clinical patterns of wart presentation.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study of all histologically diagnosed verrucae cases from 2013-2022.
• Inclusion criteria: patients with histological diagnosis of verrucae and adequate data.
• Exclusion criteria: inadequate biodata, clinical information, or missing samples.

Main Results:

• 61 cases of verrucae were analyzed, with a female predominance (54.1%).
• The most affected age group was 30-49 years.
• Anogenital warts (62.3%) were more common than cutaneous warts (37.7%), with the vulva being the most frequent site.
• Cosmesis (84.4%) was the predominant reason for clinical presentation, followed by bleeding, pain, and itching.

Conclusions:

• Warts are prevalent in the anogenital region, third and fourth decades of life, and in females.
• Clinical presentations include bleeding, pain, itching, and cosmetic concerns.
• Widespread vaccination against HPV is recommended to decrease the incidence of warts.