Does HPV have a presence in diffuse high grade pre-malignant lesions of the larynx?

OBJECTIVE To describe the incidence of HPV in diffuse high grade pre-cancerous lesions of the larynx. METHODS Patient charts were searched for those who presented between October 2008 and June 2009 with diffuse vocal fold leukoplakia. Biopsy proven laryngeal lesions with high grade dysplasia or carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) were examined for patient characteristics and presence of high-risk type HPV detected by in situ hybridization technique. RESULTS Fifteen patients with precancerous lesions were identified. Average age was 63 years and 13 were male. One lesion was identified as positive for high-risk HPV, all other lesions were negative. At current follow up, no patient has demonstrated progression to invasive carcinoma. CONCLUSION HPV may not play a role in non-progressing diffuse high-grade lesions of the larynx.