papillomatosis

(medicine) Widespread formation of papillomas.

1. The development of numerous papillomas.
2. Papillary projections of the epidermis forming a microscopically undulating surface.

Disease state characterized by the development of multiple papillomas. See also papilloma, papillomavirus, fibropapilloma.

• canine viral p. — multiple papillomas, caused by a papillomavirus, occur most commonly on the oral mucosa and lips of young dogs. Occasionally skin, cornea, conjunctiva and eyelids are also involved. The tumors may persist for several months, occasionally longer, but spontaneous regression is usual.

  Canine viral papillomatosis. By permission from Kummel BA, Color Atlas of Small Animal Dermatology, Mosby, 1989

• cottontail rabbit p. — infection by a papilloma virus specific to Sylvilagus floridanus, causes cutaneous papillomas which may become malignant.
• genital p. — multiple fibropapillomas of the anogenital skin transmitted venereally in cattle, usually involving the vulva and penis. There is also a genital form of the disease in pigs. See bovine papillomavirus and transmissible porcine papillomatosis (below).
• oral p. — see oral lapine papillomatosis (below), canine viral papillomatosis (above).
• oral lapine p. — small, gray, sessile or pedunculated tumors on the undersurface of the tongue and rarely at other sites in the mouth, caused by a papillomavirus. Seen in Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus spp.
• teat p. — there are five antigenically identified papillomaviruses which cause warts on the teats of cows. Lesions vary from ricegrain lesions to long tags of keratinized tissue.
• transmissible porcine p. — in the prepuce of the boar as papular 0.5 to 1 inch diameter lesions; spontaneous disappearance and persistent subsequent immunity.