Vulvar cancer and HPV infection: analysis of 22 cases

Abstract

Vulvar cancer represents about 4% of all neoplasms of the female genital tract. Two different pathways give rise to vulvar carcinoma, a HPV-dependent pathway, and a pathway linked to inflammatory dermatoses. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of HPV infection in the pathogenesis of vulvar cancer by HPV genotyping in 22 cases of squamous cell carcinoma. Our results provides further evidence that vulvar squamous cell carcinoma is a multifactorial disease that may develop though different pathways, very often in the presence of classic or differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia in 16 out 22 cases.