Detection of oncogenic human papillomavirus in sporadic retinoblastoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in tumour tissue from patients with unilateral retinoblastoma. METHODS: Samples of paraffin-embedded tumour tissue from 43 children with unilateral retinoblastoma were collected to investigate the presence of HPV DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dot blot hybridization. RESULTS: Oncogenic HPV DNA types 16 and 35 were detected in 12 (27.9%) of 43 tumour specimens. A higher frequency of differentiated tumours (63.3%) was observed among the HPV-positive tumours. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies are necessary to demonstrate an association between HPV and sporadic retinoblastoma.

Detection of human papillomavirus in epithelial lesions of the conjunctiva.

CONTEXT: Many factors like exposure to UV radiation, climatic conditions, genetic predisposition, immunological state and, more recently, the presence of HPV have been implicated in the genesis of some lesions of the conjunctiva, especially the carcinoma. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of HPV DNA in acquired lesions of the conjunctiva and in normal mucosa. TYPE OF STUDY: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A public university referral center (the Ophthalmology Service of the A.C. Camargo Hospital - A. Prudente Foundation, São Paulo). PARTICIPANTS: Thirty patients with acquired lesions of the conjunctiva and 60 matched controls (by age and sex) were evaluated in this study, from June 1993 to March 1995. PROCEDURES: The detection of HPV DNA in the normal conjunctiva and in acquired lesions was done by the PCR technique and dot blot hybridization. The material was collected by scraping the normal mucosa and the surface of the lesions. A fragment of fresh frozen tissue and paraffin embedded specimens of each lesion were also included. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The association between the HPV infection and the presence or absence of conjunctival lesions. RESULTS: Sequences of HPV DNA were detected in 4 of the 31 lesions evaluated (12.9%) and in the healthy mucosa of one individual of the control group (1.6%). HPV type 16 was detected in 2 carcinomas and in the normal mucosa of one individual of the control group. HPV type 11 was demonstrated in 2 papillomas of one patient with lesions in both eyes. CONCLUSIONS: The low frequency of HPV DNA found in the lesions of this sample and the detection of the viral genome in the normal mucosa indicate that there is a weak possibility of association between HPV infection and the carcinoma of the conjunctiva.

Melanoma de coróide: conservaçäo de olhos com placas de cobalto-60 / Choroidal melanoma: eye preservation by cobalt-60 plaque therapy

Säo apresentados os resultados de tratamento de 28 pacientes portadores de malanoma da coróide tratados por braquiterapia com placas de cobalto-60. O tamanho dos tumores variou de 2,1 a 15mm em altura e de 9,0 a 22mm no maior diâmetro basal. Para análise dos resultados os pacientes foram subdivididos em 2 grupos: grupos I, com 19 pacientes portadores de tumores de mais de 8mm em altura; e grupo II, com 9 pacientes portadores de tumores de até 8mm de altura. Os resultados quanto à conservaçäo do globo ocular foram melhores no grupo I (78,9/100) que no grupo II (33,3). Todos os olhos enucleados tiveram confirmaçäo do diagnóstico clínico por anátomo-patológico. Dois pacientes do grupo II foram a óbito. Ambos eram portadores de outros tumores malignos sistêmicos previamente ao diagnóstico do melanoma da coróide. Pode-se questionar as hipóteses de tumor metastático ocular ou de dupla patologia tumoral nesses casos. A complicaçäo ocular mais frequente foi a retinopatia da irradiaçäo (39,3/100) seguida da catarata (28,6/100)