BACKGROUND: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarise the available data on the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) among men in sub-Saharan Africa.
METHODS: PubMed and Embase were searched up to 10 March 2014. Random effects meta-analyses were used to calculate a pooled prevalence of any HPV and high-risk (HR) HPV.
RESULTS: A total of 11 studies comprising 9342 men were identified. We found that HPV is very common among men in sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of any HPV ranging between 19.1% and 100%. Using random effects meta-analysis, the pooled prevalence of any HPV was 78.2% (95% CI 54.2 to 91.6) among HIV-positive and 49.4% (95% CI 30.4 to 68.6) among HIV-negative men (p=0.0632). When restricting the analyses to PCR-based studies, the pooled prevalence of any HPV was 84.5% (95% CI 74.2 to 91.2) among HIV-positive and 56.4% (95% CI 49.7 to 62.9) among HIV-negative men (p<0.0001). Of the HPV types included in the nine-valent HPV vaccine, the most common HR HPV types were HPV16 and HPV52, and HPV6 was the most common low-risk HPV type. When examining the prevalence of HPV in relation to age no clear trend was observed.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HPV is high among men in sub-Saharan Africa, which could contribute to the high rates of penile and cervical cancer in this part of the world. Implementation of the prophylactic HPV vaccines could potentially help prevent this large burden of HPV and HPV-associated disease in sub-Saharan Africa. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00932009.

Eosinophilic dysplasia of the cervix is recently described unusual and somewhat obscure dysplastic lesion of squamous epithelium. We present histological features of a lesion in 41 years old woman. It was composed of cells with brightly eosinophilic cytoplasm contoured by a sharp and slightly broader cytoplasmic membrane, lacking maturation, with mild increase in nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, slight chromatin clumping and uneven mild nuclear clearing. Electronmicroscopic study showed mild crevices of the nuclear membrane in some dysplastic cells. Tissue in situ hybridization study confirmed the presence of HPV 6 in the form of patchy dotted pattern of integrated type. Immunohistochemistry revealed diffuse positive expression of antigen p16, extraordinarily in this case focally sparing basal part of the epithelium. Underestimation of this lesion can be avoided by paying attention to strong eosinophilia of the cytoplasm and sharp cellular contouring of the examined epithelium in routine hematoxylin-eosin staining.

OBJECTIVE: Type-specific prevalence data of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in penile carcinoma are needed to determine the potential impact of HPV prophylactic vaccines, assuming demonstrated efficacy in men.
METHODS: A review was conducted using search terms including HPV and penile cancer. Studies using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for HPV DNA detection in invasive penile carcinoma were included.
RESULTS: A total of 1,266 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases contributed data from 30 studies. The number of SCC was similar in Europe (28.2%), North America (27.6%), South America (23.9%) and Asia (20.4%). All SCC were histologically confirmed with biopsies for DNA detection. Most commonly used PCR primers were type-specific (35.2%), and combination PCR (18.2%). HPV prevalence was 47.9%, ranging from 22.4% in verrucous SCC to 66.3% for the basaloid/warty subtypes. HPV16 (30.8%), HPV6 (6.7%) and HPV18 (6.6%) were the most prevalent types. HPV16 and/or HPV 18 prevalence was 36.7%.
CONCLUSIONS: HPV DNA was detected in half of SCC, with HPV16 being the most common type. If proven efficacious in men, prophylactic vaccines targeting carcinogenic types HPV16 and 18 could potentially reduce approximately one-third of incident SCC.