Benign proliferative epithelial lesions of oral mucosa are infrequently associated with α-, β-, or γ human papillomaviruses.

Background: Oral papillomas and verruca vulgaris have been associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. However, approximately half of these have remained HPV-negative when tested for mucosal HPV genotypes. In this study, we evaluated presence of α-, β-, and γ-HPVs in benign papillary and verrucous lesions.

Methods: Eighty-three clinical lesions with suspected HPV etiology were analyzed for HPV types of genus α (n = 24), β (n = 46), and γ (n = 52). Immunohistochemistry was used for p16 as a possible surrogate marker of high-risk HPV, accompanied by Ki-67 proliferation marker.

Results: Altogether, α-HPVs were detected in 6.4%, β-HPVs in 2.4%, and γ-HPV in 4.8%. The following genotypes were identified: HPV6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 161, and 170. Neither Ki-67 nor p16 positivity alone were associated with HPV but combined staining showed significant inverse association ( = .042).

Conclusion: HPV infection is found only in a minority of benign verrucous and papillary oral lesions, with the predominance of α-HPVs.

Level Of Evidence: 4.