title: Papular palmoplantar hyperkeratosis following chronic medical exposure to arsenic: human papillomavirus as a co-factor in the pathogenesis of arsenical keratosis?
abstract: This study presents the case of a 38-year-old patient from Pakistan with vitiligo, who developed multiple verrucous papules on the palms and soles several years after receiving "herbal treatment" from a travelling Indian doctor for a period of 12 months. Histopathological examination showed changes consistent with the diagnosis of arsenical keratosis. Molecularbiological examination of a skin biopsy detected an atypical human papillomavirus. This observation supports the concept of human papillomavirus as a co-factor in the pathogenesis of premalignant arsenic-induced skin tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerdsen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stockfleth
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uerlich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fartasch
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Steen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bieber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020261:Arsenic Poisoning / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007645:Keratoderma, Palmoplantar / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000188:drug therapy