title: Vulvar Acanthosis With Altered Differentiation (VAAD): Report of a Case With Progression to Poorly Differentiated Carcinoma Over a 5-Yr Period.
abstract: Vulvar acanthosis with altered differentiation is an uncommon proliferation of the vulvar squamous epithelium that is typically seen in association with verrucous carcinoma, and may represent an early phase of non-HPV-related squamous neoplastic transformation. We report a case of vulvar acanthosis with altered differentiation that, over a 5-yr period, progressed first to verrucous carcinoma in association with well-differentiated invasive squamous cell carcinoma and then, after treatment with radiotherapy, to poorly differentiated carcinoma with a component of anaplastic carcinoma. This case supports the concept of vulvar acanthosis with altered differentiation as a premalignant lesion, with potential to progress to invasive carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology (R.A.B., C.B.G.), Vancouver Hospital and Health Science Centre Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (D.M., L.S.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Raeda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Al-Bannai
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sadownik
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blake Gilks
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D018289:Carcinoma, Verrucous / Q000473:pathology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D018450:Disease Progression; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology; D014844:Vulva / Q000473:pathology*; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*