Skin autografts in epidermodysplasia verruciformis: human papillomavirus-associated cutaneous changes need over 20 years for malignant conversion.

Abstract

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is regarded as a model for cutaneous oncogenesis associated with specific human papillomaviruses (HPVs). Because genital HPV-associated carcinogenesis is a very long-lasting process requiring 20-30 years and epidemiological studies of this type for HPV-associated skin cancers are impossible in such a rare disease as EV, we observed for up to 20 years EV patients having surgery for carcinomas with consecutive autografts from uninvolved and non-sun-exposed skin. We noticed the appearance of premalignant and malignant changes around the grafts, whereas within the grafted skin, only benign macular lesions started to develop several years after transplantation. Thus, skin HPV-associated carcinogenesis appears to be a very slow process comparable to the genital carcinogenesis associated with high risk HPVs.