title: Oral verrucous hyperplasia versus oral verrucous carcinoma: A clinicopathologic dilemma revisited using p53 as immunohistochemical marker.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral verrucous hyperplasia (OVH) and oral verrucous carcinoma (OVC) are two distinct clinicopathologic verrucous lesions. However, the distinction between the two lesions still remains enigmatic. It is almost impossible to distinguish them clinically. Thus, the final diagnosis rests on the histopathological characteristics of both lesions, being distinguished from each other by an exophytic and endophytic growth pattern, respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  This institutional study was planned to review retrospectively two series of patients with histologic diagnoses of VH (n= 27) and VC (n= 27) to investigate their clinicopathological features and to analyze the role of immunohistochemical (IHC) marker p53 protein in distinguishing between the two verrucous lesions. The biopsies of the histopathologically diagnosed cases spanning last 10 years were retrieved from the archives of the Oral Pathology department of the institution. Clinical data were tabulated and analyzed for age, gender, site and tobacco habits. IHC staining was done on all the samples using p53 antibody.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Applying Chi-square test, the buccal mucosa was the most common affected site and tobacco chewing was more prevalent habit in both these lesions (P> 0.05). While the elderly males (>60 years) were the most commonly affected group in VC, a relatively younger age group of males (30-39 years) was more commonly affected in VH (P< 0.05). IHC staining with p53 antibody did not show any significant difference between these two verrucous lesions (P> 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VH and VC are closely related lesions distinguished by an adequate biopsy sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Subharti Dental College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Preeti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Subharti Dental College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wadhwan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Subharti Dental College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Subharti Dental College, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Anamika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
keywords: p53 protein; tobacco chewing; verrucous carcinoma; verrucous hyperplasia