Longitudinal study of human papillomavirus infection of the female urogenital tract by in situ hybridization.

The recurrence and/or persistence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated lesions constitute a well-recognized clinical problem; yet, few studies have demonstrated and typed the HPV within these recurrence lesions. A patient with a 17-year history of anogenital condylomata presented with an unusual bladder tumor that had histologic features of HPV infection. This prompted a longitudinal analysis of HPV DNA in archival material from these urogenital lesions. Colorimetric in situ hybridization was used to assay for HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. Human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 were present throughout the period of follow-up in all the condylomatous lesions, including those identified in the bladder, suggesting a common source of infection and spread. By contrast, HPV type 16 was associated only with the vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia that was identified midway through the period of follow-up, and it was apparently cured by excision of the lesion.