Oral florid papillomatosis located on the tongue and palate, was diagnosed in a 42 year-old-man. Clinical evidence suggested that disease spread or transmission was through contact.
The concept of oral florid papilomatosis was first introduced by Rock and Fisher, in which they described clinical features of the lesion as a chronic, hypertrophic, pseudoneoplastic change in oral and pharyngeal mucosa. Little is known regarding the causative agent (s), so only assumptions can be made regarding the precipitating factor (s) responsible for this neoplastic lesion. However, some causative factors such as viruses, chornic persistent irritation, and cigarette smoking are suspected.
Therefore, an investigation was initiated using the PAP immunohistochemical method for papilloma viruses in an attempt to establish a viral etiology for this disease process.
Structural antigens of papilloma viruses were identified in a case of oral florid papillomatosis from both lingual and palatal biopsies using the PAP immunohistochemical method.