Related Experiment Videos
Epstein-Barr virus in carcinoma of the vulva
A N Cheung1, U S Khoo, K Y Kwong
1Department of Pathology, University of Hong Kong.
Aims:
To detect the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in cases of vulval carcinoma in Chinese patients living in Hong Kong.
Methods:
Formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded blocks from eight cases of vulval carcinoma and six age matched controls of non-neoplastic vulval tissue were analysed for the presence of EBV DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Results:
EBV DNA was detected in only one of the eight cases of vulval carcinoma cases while it was detected in four out of the six control cases.
Conclusions:
There is no demonstrable association between EBV and vulval carcinoma. Detection of EBV in non-neoplastic vulval epithelium highlights its ubiquitous presence in the lower female genital tract.