Verrucous carcinoma of the female genital tract: report of a case and review of the literature

Verrucous carcinoma (VC) of the female genital tract is a rare lesion, primarily affecting postmenopausal women. A case of VC of the vulva is reported, bringing the total number of VC of the female genital tract to 89. VC is a slowly growing, locally "pushing" tumor with a rather benign histologic appearance, and the clinical and histologic characteristics are described on the basis of the present report and a review of the literature. The treatment of VC is still a matter of discussion. It seems logical to treat the tumor by wide local excision, taking the lack of proof of spontaneous metastasis into consideration. Radiation therapy should be contraindicated, and local application of podophyllin, bleomycin therapy, and cryosurgery are ineffective methods in the treatment of VC.