HPV detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in verrucous lesions of the upper aerodigestive tract.

Nineteen formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded verrucous lesions of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) were evaluated for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) 6b/11, 16, and 18 DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in-situ hybridization, and dot blot analysis. HPV DNA was confirmed in two dysplastic papillomas only; both cases contained HPV 6b/11. E6-E7 portions of HPV DNA was not reproducibly detected in any of the 11 verrucous carcinomas, 4 verrucous hyperplasias, or 2 mature papillomas. In-situ hybridization and dot blot analysis confirmed HPV 6b/11 in the two dysplastic papillomas and failed to identify HPV in the other verrucous lesions.