A squamous cell papilloma is a generally

benign Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse; the term is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous benign tumor, ''benign'' tumor in that a malig ...

papilloma A papilloma (plural papillomas or papillomata) ('' papillo-'' + '' -oma'') is a benign epithelial tumor growing exophytically (outwardly projecting) in nipple-like and often finger-like fronds. In this context, papilla refers to the projection cr ...

that arises from the stratified

squamous epithelium Epithelium or epithelial tissue is a thin, continuous, protective layer of cells with little extracellular matrix. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epithelial ( mesothelial) tissues line the outer surfaces of man ...

of the skin, lip, oral cavity, tongue,

pharynx The pharynx (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the human mouth, mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates ...

larynx The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ (anatomy), organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal ...

esophagus The esophagus (American English), oesophagus (British English), or œsophagus (Œ, archaic spelling) (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, see spelling difference) all ; : ((o)e)(œ)sophagi or ((o)e)(œ)sophaguses), c ...

cervix The cervix (: cervices) or cervix uteri is a dynamic fibromuscular sexual organ of the female reproductive system that connects the vagina with the uterine cavity. The human female cervix has been documented anatomically since at least the time ...

vagina In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...

or anal canal. Squamous cell papillomas are typically associated with

human papillomavirus Human papillomavirus infection (HPV infection) is caused by a DNA virus from the ''Papillomaviridae'' family. Many HPV infections cause no symptoms and 90% resolve spontaneously within two years. In some cases, an HPV infection persists and r ...

(HPV) while sometimes the cause is unknown.

Types

Oral squamous cell papilloma

Squamous cell papilloma of the mouth or throat is generally diagnosed in people between the ages of 30 and 50, and is normally found on the inside of the cheek, on the tongue, or inside of lips. Oral papillomas are usually painless and not treated unless they interfere with eating or cause pain. They do not generally mutate to

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

ous growths, nor do they normally grow or spread. Oral papillomas are usually a result of the infection with types HPV-6 and HPV-11.

Conjunctival squamous cell papilloma

Normally found in children or young adults, a common cause of conjunctival squamous cell papilloma is during childbirth, when the mother passes the virus to her child.

Diagnosis

It appears as an exophytic mass with a cauliflower-like appearance. The lesion may be white, red, or normal in color. It appears as a sessile or pedunculated mass. Histopathology typically shows papillomatosis protrusions and/or

dysplasia Dysplasia is any of various types of abnormal growth or development of cells (microscopic scale) or organs (macroscopic scale), and the abnormal histology or anatomical structure(s) resulting from such growth. Dysplasias on a mainly microscopic ...

. Topic Completed: 1 November 2013. Revised: 1 February 2019 File:Gross pathology of a large squamous cell papilloma.jpg, Gross pathology of a large squamous cell papilloma File:Histopathology of a large squamous cell papilloma.jpg, Histopathology of the same papilloma.

Treatment

While most cases require no treatment, therapy options include

cryotherapy Cryotherapy, sometimes known as cold therapy, is the local or general use of low temperatures in medical therapy. Cryotherapy can be used in many ways, including whole body exposure for therapeutic health benefits or may be used locally to treat ...

, application of a topical

salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4COOH. A colorless (or white), bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a active metabolite, metabolite of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). It is a plant hormone, and has been lis ...

compound, surgical excision and laser ablation.

References

External links

{{Medical resources , DiseasesDB = , ICD10 = , ICD9 = , ICDO = {{ICDO, 8052, 0 , OMIM = , MedlinePlus = , eMedicineSubj = , eMedicineTopic = , MeshID = Benign neoplasms Papillomavirus-associated diseases