ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To summarize current knowledge of the relationship of genital and oral HPV infection in women. DESIGN: Review article. SETTING: Gynecologic Oncology Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Na Bulovce and 1st Medical School of Charles University, Prague; Gynecologic Oncology Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, General Faculty Hospital and 1st Medical School of Charles University, Prague; ENT Department, Hospital Na Bulovce, Prague. METHODS AND RESULTS: The infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is strongly associated with the development of anogenital cancers and of a subset of head and neck squamous cell cancers, yet a quite little is known about the interrelationship between oral and cervicovaginal HPV infections. A key issue in oral HPV infection is whether it can be brought about a genital HPV infection, through sexual or other contact and by autoinoculation, or whether it can be considered a fully independent event. Pertinent to this issue is the frequency of oral HPV infection in women with a cervical HPV infection. Some studies show that females with genital HPV infection are at higher risk for oral infection and HPV genotype-concordance with genital infection are more prevalent than could be expected by chance. However, more data are needed to better understand the natural history of HPV infection at each anatomic site. CONCLUSION: The relationship of oral to cervicovaginal HPV infection remains unclear. Nevertheless, published data suggest that HPV infections at these two sites are not entirely independent, although genotype-specific concordance is low.