[Bowenoid papulosis (author's transl)].

Bowenoid papulosis of the anogenital area was found in 3 women and 3 men aged 24 to 64 years. These were papulo-verrucous efflorescences with a tendency to multilocular recurrences despite cold cauterisation. Spontaneous healing was also observed. Histology showed acanthomas with varying degrees of dysplasia including carcinoma in situ. Light microscopic changes in the proliferating epidermis were found repeatedly which is taken as evidence for virus-induced origin. Thus the characteristic cell dysplasia of bowenoid papulosis is possibly the consequence of a viral anaplastic transformation. There is no definite histologic differentiation between dysplasia due to podophyllin in papillary condylomas and that of bowenoid papulosis.