title: The sinonasal tract: another potential "hot spot" for carcinomas with transcriptionally-active human papillomavirus.
abstract: While high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is well established as causative and clinically important for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oropharynx, its role in non-oropharyngeal head and neck SCC is much less clearly elucidated. In the sinonasal region, in particular, although it is a relatively uncommon site for SCC, as many as 20 % of SCC harbor transcriptionally-active high risk HPV. These tumors almost always have a nonkeratinizing morphology and may have a better prognosis. In addition, specific variants of SCC as well as other rare carcinoma types, when arising in the sinonasal tract, can harbor transcriptionally-active HPV. This article reviews the current literature on HPV in sinonasal carcinomas, attempts to more clearly demonstrate what tumors have it and how this relates to possible precursor lesions like inverted papilloma, and discusses the possible clinical ramifications of the presence of the virus.
authors: Departments of Pathology and Immunology and Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA, jlewis@path.wustl.edu.
authors: James S
authors: JS
authors: Lewis
authors: William H
authors: WH
authors: Westra
authors: Lester D R
authors: LD
authors: Thompson
authors: Leon
authors: L
authors: Barnes
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Cardesa
authors: Jennifer L
authors: JL
authors: Hunt
authors: Michelle D
authors: MD
authors: Williams
authors: Pieter J
authors: PJ
authors: Slootweg
authors: Asterios
authors: A
authors: Triantafyllou
authors: Julia A
authors: JA
authors: Woolgar
authors: Kenneth O
authors: KO
authors: Devaney
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Rinaldo
authors: Alfio
authors: A
authors: Ferlito
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D010255:Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*