A BSTRACT Squamous papilloma of the anal canal is a rare benign epithelial lesion that may clinically mimic malignant or premalignant anal pathology. We report the case of a 21-year-old man who presented with a 10-month history of a painless, wart-like perianal growth without pruritus, bleeding, or discharge. Clinical examination revealed clustered, finger-like projections with a cauliflower-like appearance, raising suspicion of condyloma acuminata or anal malignancy. Incisional biopsy suggested squamous papilloma without dysplasia or invasive carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for p16 was negative, indicating the absence of detectable human papillomavirus infection. The lesion was managed with complete surgical excision. Histopathological examination confirmed a benign papillary architecture lined by stratified squamous epithelium with hyperkeratosis and dense chronic inflammatory infiltrate in the subepithelium, without evidence of dysplasia or malignancy. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge posed by benign anal lesions with malignant-appearing features and emphasizes the essential role of histopathological evaluation in establishing an accurate diagnosis and guiding definitive management.
Kumar et al. (Thu,) studied this question.