Solitary keratoacanthomas in immunocompetent patients: no detection of papillomavirus DNA by polymerase chain reaction

The aetiology of keratoacanthoma (Ka) is unknown, but human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of this lesion. To evaluate the role of HPV in the development of KA in the general population, 20 tissue specimens were analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To include a broad range of both cutaneous and mucosal HPV types, PCR was performed with two sets of degenerate primers. No HPV-DNA sequences were detected in any lesions analysed. These results do not support the hypothesis that HPV is involved in the etiology and pathogenesis of the KA in immunocompetent patients.