A CASE REPORT OF GIANT GENITAL WARTS

Giant genital warts (GGW) represent a rare form of sexually transmitted disease caused by the human papillomavirus, arising more frequently in the vulvar and perianal regions as large exophytic cauliflower-like mass. Estimated rate of recurrence is 60 to 66%, while malignant transformation is possible and it has been reported in 30 to 56% of cases. A 45- years-old woman was admitted to our Structure of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Siena, Italy with an extensive cauliflower- like masses diffused on vulvar and perianal region. The patient was treated in general anaesthesia, with a wide en bloc excision up to free clinical edges and immediate reconstruction of the vulvar continuity. Buschke Lowenstein tumour or giant genital warts is a sporadic tumour with an elevate local recurrence rate. In some cases, surgery can be very difficult and it must be associated to other strategies. An accurate follow-up is always necessary

The molecular genetics of vestibular schwannoma

Vestibular schwannoma occurs both as a sporadic tumour and in the dominantly inherited familial cancer syndrome neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). The gene for NF2 has recently beenisolated on chromosome 22, and the demonstration of inactivating germline mutations in NF2 patients and NF2 associated tumours suggests that it acts as a tumour suppressor. The results of recent research in Cambridge suggest that somatic mutations of the NF2 tumour suppressor gene are a critical step in the pathogenesis of both familial and indeed non-familial unilateral sporadic vestibular schwannoma and that the mechanism of tumourigenesis complies with the ‘two-hit’ model. This paper represents a brief review of the current status of molecular biology in relation to vestibular schwannoma in particular and is discussed in relation to the molecular pathology of skull base tumours as a whole.