Human papillomavirus, type 40-associated papilloma, and concurrent Kaposi's sarcoma involving the anterior hard palate of an HIV-positive man

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation with human papillomavirus in people living with HIV: a systematic review

Over the last 20 years we assisted to an increase in the mean age of People Living with HIV and their comorbidities. Especially, there was an increase in Human Papillomavirus-related head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Despite their increasing incidence in HIV-positive people, mechanisms that lead to their development and progression are only partially understood. The aim of this review is to identify key data and factors about HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in HIV-seropositive patients. Systematic search and review of the relevant literature-peer-reviewed and grey-was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We included in our review only the 35 full-text articles we considered the most substantial. It is mandatory to improve our knowledge about the interactions existing between HPV and HIV, and about their actions on oral mucosa immune system.

Epithelial maturation and molecular biology of oral HPV

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is widespread and can cause latent infection in basal cells, with low HPV DNA copy-number insufficient for transmission of infection; can cause subclinical infection that is active but without clinical signs; or can cause clinical infection leading to benign, potentially malignant or malignant lesions. The HPV cycle is influenced by the stage of maturation of the infected keratinocytes, and the production of virions is restricted to the post-mitotic suprabasal epithelial cells where all the virus genes are expressed.Low-risk HPV genotypes are associated with the development of benign oral lesions, whereas high-risk HPV genotypes are implicated in the development of malignant epithelial neoplasms. The rôle of high-risk HPV as a causative agent in epithelial malignancy is different at different anatomical sites: it is almost invariably implicated in squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, fairly frequently implicated in squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, and it is seldom implicated in squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth.

Plasmacytoma of the Hard Palate

Multiple myeloma is a systemic malignant disease and is associated with a poor prognosis. It is characterized by neoplastic proliferation of plasma cells involved in the production and secretion of monoclonal immunoglobulins (M proteins). It is generally a disseminated disease involving many bones. Systemic symptoms include bone pain, pathologic fracture, renal failure, hypercalcemia, weight loss, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia. This condition may occur as a solitary lesion (solitary plasmacytoma), which in some patients eventually progresses to plasma cell myeloma. Extramedullary plasmacytoma is defined as neoplastic proliferation of plasma cells in the soft tissue. It usually occurs in the upper respiratory tract, such as the nasal cavity or posterior oropharynx. The authors present a rare plasmacytoma case with maxilla involvement.