Epidermodysplasia verruciformis in Africans.
BACKGROUND
Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare cutaneous disorder characterised by persistent, refractory infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV). Although EV does not seem to have racial or geographic preference, there is a scarcity of reports on its occurrence in Africans.


METHODS
Twenty Africans with EV were studied, and the literature on this condition in Africans was reviewed. Virologic studies were performed on 10 patients.


RESULTS
Three types of lesions were observed: flat warts, pityriasis versicolor-like macules, and seborrheic keratosis-like changes. Malignant transformation occurred in only one patient. HPV-3 was isolated only from flat warts, HPV-5 and HPV-17 were isolated only from PV-like lesions, whereas an HPV-5-related type was found in all three types of changes. HPV-5-related type revealed DNA that was related but not identical to any of the viruses in the HPV-5 group. This particular type was isolated from all five South African patients with EV in whom virologic studies were performed.


CONCLUSIONS
The benign nature of EV in dark-skinned Africans has been confirmed. Four HPV types have been isolated, of which HPV-related type was found in all South African patients with EV and in all types of skin changes, regardless of their morphology. African patients with EV frequently present seborrheic keratosis-like changes.
Jacyk
W K
WK
Department of Dermatology, University of Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.
De Villiers
E M
EM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002648:Child; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004819:Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017495:Hyperpigmentation / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D017499:Porokeratosis / Q000473:pathology; D013019:South Africa; D013397:Sudan; D014010:Tinea Versicolor / Q000473:pathology; D014860:Warts / Q000473:pathology
D004279:DNA, Viral