Bowen disease of the palm associated with human papillomavirus 52

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a well-known risk factor for many human cancers, especially cervical cancers. Among the nonmelanoma skin cancers, Bowen disease (BD) of the genitalia and fingers has also been shown to be closely associated with the high-risk types of HPV, especially HPV16. We report a case of BD of the palm, which is a very rare location for BD. In addition to its rare location, HPV52, which is classified as a mucous high-risk HPV type, was detected in the lesion by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of BD associated with HPV52. © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.