The etiological role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in a number of squamous cell malignant tumours is well known. Squamous cell carcinoma of colon (SCC) is a rare disease with uncertain etiology. Our objective was to detect possible HPV infection in a colon SCC patient. The 94-year-old female patient was operated for an obstructive colon tumour. Histology confirmed SCC. Tumour tissue and the removed lymph nodes were examined with polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot hybridization techniques. From HPV types 16 and 18, which most commonly associated with malignant tumours, the presence of HPV type 16 could be confirmed in the primary tumour and in 4 out of the 9 surrounding lymph nodes (of which 2 were metastatic). HPV-16 infection was detected in a colon cancer patient with SCC histological type in the primary tumour and in surrounding lymph nodes. According to our knowledge, no similar study has been published yet.