Atypical condylomas of the cervix uteri in Singapore women: a histopathological and immunohistochemical study.

Subclinical flat cervical warts are commonly recognized by means of colposcopy. These warty lesions frequently contain cellular atypia of a varying degree showing all the features of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) together with the features of wart virus infection e.g. koilocytosis. Human papillomavirus (HPV) antigens and DNA have been found in these lesions which can be called atypical condylomas. The presence of such markers in lesions regarded as having neoplastic potential implicates HPV in cervical carcinogenesis. We investigated a group of Chinese women in Singapore to see whether this hitherto unstudied group showed HPV markers, in particular, HPV antigens by means of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) staining technique. We found that histological warty change and HPV antigens were commoner in early compared with advanced CIN. These results, which are similar to previous studies, suggest that the aetiology of cervical carcinoma is probably no different in Singapore than in the West. They also suggest that HPV infection of the cervix is endemic in non-Western countries as well as in the West and may play a role in cervical carcinogenesis in diverse racial groups.