Repurposing GeneXpert® for Rapid Diagnosis of HPV-Associated Anal Cancer: A Case Report of an Unusually Large Lesion
Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
We report the case of an HIV-positive man from the Peruvian Amazon presenting with a massive, exophytic perianal lesion progressively enlarging over one year. Despite preserved immune status and antiretroviral adherence, the lesion reached an unusually large size (approximately 17 × 13 cm in vertical and horizontal dimensions, respectively), exceeding dimensions typically reported in the literature for anal lesions of this entity (1). Microbiological investigation revealed Proteus mirabilis superinfection, while histopathological and molecular workup identified high-risk HPV type 16 using the GeneXpert® HPV assay applied directly to tissue — a diagnostic approach rarely reported. Notably, most existing literature describes the use of GeneXpert® and other molecular assays primarily on swab-based specimens (cervical, vaginal, urine, or anal canal). This case illustrates the potential off-label utility of GeneXpert® for rapid molecular confirmation of HPV directly from solid tissue samples in resource-limited settings where conventional pathology infrastructure may be delayed or unavailable.
