Clinical and pathological aspects of condyloma acuminatum – review of literature and case presentation

Condyloma acuminatum (CA) is a pathology caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). It is manifested by the appearance of warts in the vulvar, pubic, and anorectal regions, but can occur in other areas. It is a common disease that can be prevented by using measures such as condoms or vaccine. Topical, local, pharmacological, surgical, and excisional therapy options are available for this pathology. Macroscopically, it appears as a vegetative tumor, with a single implantation base that branches towards the periphery, with a cauliflower appearance. CA is defined microscopically by acanthosis, parakeratosis, papillomatosis and koilocytosis. Immunohistochemical studies can detect the presence of various HPV strains or viral antigens and can emphasize certain specific characteristics; e.g., in the case presented in this study, we observed that the tumor had a fulminant evolution due to a strong vascular base identified with anti-cluster of differentiation (CD) 34 antibody, by the existence of epithelial cells with a high degree of cell proliferation, as evidenced by the anti-Ki67 antibody, the inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene and the appearance of immunolabeling for the anti-p53 antibody, by the strong immunoreactivity for p63 which reveals the existence of cells with dysplastic and neoplastic transformation potential, but also by detecting the immunolabeling for p16(INK4a) that is associated with the existence of HPV. Also, the tumor was immunoreactive for cytokeratin (CK) AE1/AE3, partially immunoreactive for CK5/6 in the basal layer and negative for CK7, which demonstrates the squamous epithelial origin of the described tumor. Subepithelial cells of the inflammatory system have been identified, such as macrophages immunolabeled with anti-CD68 antibody, T-lymphocytes immunolabeled with anti-CD3 antibody and rare B-lymphocytes immunolabeled with anti-CD20 antibody, which demonstrates the strong cellular response to remove the virus from the structure. Surgical and excisional treatment was helpful for the patient, because she was able to resume normal sexual activity and defecation, and on the other hand, microscopic studies showed the potential for malignant transformation of CA.