Bowen disease of the nail bed presenting as longitudinal melanonychia: detection of human papillomavirus type 56 DNA.

Abstract

A case of Bowen disease (BD) presenting as longitudinal melanonychia (LM) on the right third fingernail of a 25-year-old African American man is described. Findings from the histopathologic examination revealed full-thickness epidermal atypia, hypergranulosis, and koilocytic changes. Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 56 was identified by polymerase chain reaction. To the best of our knowledge, we describe the first case of BD of the nail unit in which HPV-56 DNA has been identified.