EPIDERMODYSPLASIA VERRUCIFORMIS

Course overview

EPIDERMODYSPLASIA VERRUCIFORMIS (EV) IS A GENETIC DERMATOLOGIC CONDITION IN WHICH PATIENTS SHOW A DECREASED IMMUNOLOGIC ABILITY TO DEFEND AGAINST AND ERADICATE CERTAIN TYPES OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV), LEADING TO PERSISTENT INFECTION AND INCREASED LIFETIME RISK OF DEVELOPMENT OF CUTANEOUS DYSPLASIA AND MALIGNANCY. PERSONS WITH THIS DISEASE DEVELOP HPV-DERIVED CUTANEOUS LESIONS AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION. THIS GENODERMATOSIS MANIFESTS MAINLY AS VERRUCOUS CUTANEOUS LESIONS SUCH AS MULTIPLE PERSISTENT VERRUCAE, PITYRIASIS VERSICOLOR-LIKE LESIONS, AND OTHER VERRUCOUS OR "WARTY" CUTANEOUS LESIONS AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOWEN DISEASE AND SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA. THE LESIONS OF EV TEND TO EXHIBIT A CHARACTERISTIC HISTOPATHOLOGIC APPEARANCE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS WHEN EPIDERMODYSPLASIA VERRUCIFORMIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS, HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE FOR THIS CONDITION, AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.