HPV42 - a human papillomavirus classified as a low-risk type with oncogenic potential.
Sven Niklas Burmann, Ulrike Wieland, Steffi Silling et al.
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Case in brief
The report describes HPV42 detection across anogenital warts, digital squamous cell carcinoma in situ, and a lymphogenously metastasized digital papillary adenocarcinoma (DPA). HPV42 is generally classified as low-risk and is mainly associated with benign lesions, but it has also been found in invasive genital tumors. In the DPA, HPV42 had been identified as a potential causative agent. The authors describe HPV42-associated lesions spanning benign and malignant disease and conclude that HPV42 should be considered potentially carcinogenic. The abstract does not report how the individual lesions were treated or resolved.
What made this case unusual
HPV42, a type usually associated with benign lesions, was detected in a digital squamous cell carcinoma in situ and a lymphogenously metastasized digital papillary adenocarcinoma, extending its reported associations beyond anogenital disease.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
A low-risk HPV classification does not exclude detection in malignant lesions: HPV42 has been identified in digital carcinomas, including metastatic DPA, although its causal role is described as potential.
Why it matters
The nonavalent HPV vaccine does not cover HPV42, so HPV42-associated lesions are not prevented by the current vaccination programs described in the report.