title: Oral hairy leukoplakia in HIV-negative patients: report of 10 cases.
abstract: Ten cases of oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) in HIV- negative patients are presented. Eight of the 10 patients were on steroid treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 1 patient was on prednisone as part of a therapeutic regimen for gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and 1 patient did not have any history of immunosuppression. There were 5 men and 5 women, ages 32-79, with mean age being 61.8 years. Nine out of 10 lesions were located unilaterally on the tongue, whereas 1 lesion was located at the junction of the hard and soft palate. All lesions were described as painless, corrugated, nonremovable white plaques (leukoplakias). Histologic features were consistent with Epstein-Barr virus-associated hyperkeratosis suggestive of OHL, and confirmatory in situ hybridization was performed in all cases. Candida hyphae and spores were present in 8 cases. Pathologists should be aware of OHL presenting not only in HIV-positive and HIV-negative organ transplant recipients but also in patients receiving steroid treatment, and more important, certain histologic features should raise suspicion for such diagnosis without prior knowledge of immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piperi
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Omlie
authors.forename: Ioannis George
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Koutlas
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pambuccian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007943:Leukemia, Hairy Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D017733:Leukoplakia, Hairy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D005938:Glucocorticoids