Parichehr Ghalayani and colleagues (Volume 31, Number 1, Pages:060-063) report three interesting cases of focal epithelial hyperplasia (FEH) diagnosed through clinical and microscopic analysis[1]. We would like to emphasize that, although the age and ethnicity of the patient may support the clinical suspicion of FEH, the histopathological features of FEH might be similar to that of condyloma acuminatum and oral squamous cell papilloma[2].
Detection of specific HPV genotype by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a specific and sensitive method to confirm the diagnosis of FEH[2]. Susceptible HPV subtypes of condyloma acuminatum and oral squamous cell papilloma are most frequently 6,11,16 and 18[3]. Human papillomavirus-13 in the children or 32 in adult patients are viral subtypes implicated in most patients with FEH diagnosis (>90%)[3]. When suspicion of condyloma acuminatum or venereal warts is raised, particularly in children, accurate genotyping diagnosis should be mandatory to rule out suspected of sexual abuse.