The high prevalence of human papillomavirus DNA in liver tissue in cases of extrahepatic biliary atresia suggests a strong correlation between this disorder and idiopathic neonatal giant cell hepatitis. It further suggests that this virus may be one of the causative agents in extrahepatic biliary atresia and may represent part of the spectrum of lesions associated with neonatal human papillomavirus-induced hepatic damage.

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a skin disease that may affect both sexes at all ages and at any site. Its etiology remains unknown. The observation of focal koilocytotic-like changes in the stratum malpighii in prepuce samples of LS in children prompted us to investigate the presence of HPV-DNA. Twenty-three paraffin-embedded samples of LS lesions from children aged 4 to 14 years were studied using nested-PCR and in situ hybridization (ISH). Twelve out of 23 cases amplified HPV-DNA (8 cases corresponded to HPV-DNA type 6; 2 cases each to HPV-DNA types 16 and 18). ISH detected HPV sequences in the nuclei of koilocytotic and some parakeratotic cells in 13 cases (9/13 also HPV-DNA positive by PCR). Our results demonstrated the presence of HPV-DNA in roughly 70% of cases of LS of the prepuce in children. We highlight the observation of koilocytotic-like changes in the prepuce and its association with HPV. The possible pathogenetic significance between the virus and the lesion is not settled.

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