Introduction:

Head and neck cancer currently has the sixth highest incidence worldwide. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a small deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) virus with more than 200 subtypes. Remarkable features have been reported in head and neck cancer according to HPV status. Histopathologically, cancer with positive HPV tends to be a poorly differentiated basaloid and keratinized histologic type tumor.

Objective:

To present the relationship between HPV- associated head and neck cancer (subtypes 16 and 18) in a young patient, describing the surgical approach performed; to show the results of the clinical practice taking into account the staging, the depth of the invasion, and the treatment received; and to assess the oncological outcome and the patient's satisfaction with esthetic and function.

Case Presentation:

A 40-year-old male patient is presented. He reports no history of smoking, but occasional alcohol intake, and the practice of oro-genital sexual habits in bisexual relationships. He also has a family history of cancer. The patient presents a localized ulceration in the lateral border of the tongue. The histopathological diagnosis indicated infiltrating large keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma.

Conclusions:

Associated risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption are decisive on the outcome of this type of cancer, so the diagnosis and progression of the disease in this group of positive HPV subjects requires a different approach from the commonly implemented one.

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