Papillomas - causes of formation, types and methods of treatment

Papilloma is a formation that can appear on the skin or mucous membranes of a person and, without appropriate intervention, lead to serious consequences, including the development of cancer. Papillomas on the human body signal the presence of HPV (human papillomavirus) in the body. At the moment, a fairly large number of varieties of this virus have been identified. It has also been proven that about 70% of the sexually active population are its carriers.

Medical is a clinic that provides a wide range of medical services, including in the field of urology. The clinic’s specialists approach the treatment of each patient individually: this applies to both the timing of treatment and the treatment measures themselves, which most often allows for very effective results.

What is papillomavirus, how can a child become infected with it?

Papillomas, warts and condylomas are neoplasms of the skin and mucous membranes that occur when infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus can infect the outer layer of skin and the smooth, moist mucous membranes of the mouth, rectum, anus, and genitals in men and women. There are more than 100 different types of virus. Many of these types of virus cause warts and papillomas that appear on the arms and legs. HPV types 6 and 11 cause genital warts, and HPV types 16 and 18 can lead to cervical cancer and, less commonly, cancer of the vagina, penis, scrotum or rectum.

In newborns and young children, papillomatosis (or HPV) manifests as skin warts, genital warts, and juvenile recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Adolescent girls may present with squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix.

In children aged 5 to 15 years, HPV types 1,2 and 3 predominate in skin warts, and in adolescents, HPV type 4 predominates. Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is caused by HPV types 13, 39, 40 and 56.

Papillomas in men: causes of occurrence

The cause of the appearance of papillomas on the body in men and women is a virus that can enter the body in various ways:

• Due to unprotected sexual contact: the most common type of infection, including because a person can be a carrier of the virus for a long time, without even knowing it, since the virus has the ability to manifest itself only under the influence of external factors. Transmission is also possible through direct contact of mucous membranes. In this case, the risk of infection increases if the skin or mucous membranes are damaged (there are cracks, scratches, cuts, etc.). Due to the prevalence of this cause of infection, it is understandable that quite often papillomas (condylomas) in men and women appear in the intimate area, at points of contact, from which the risk of infection in men is usually higher, due to their greater sexual activity, but the mucous membranes of women are less protected .
• Through household contact: it has now been proven that the HPV virus can enter the human body through ordinary contact (even a handshake), especially in public places (baths, swimming pools, gyms, etc.).

It is also necessary to remember that infection with the specified virus does not mean its manifestation.

Most often, the disease becomes more active and makes itself felt if:

• the patient's immunity is weakened;
• there were great physical or mental stress, stress, exhaustion;
• There are various types of sexually transmitted diseases.

HPV in men: consequences

The virus can cause condylomas, or genital warts, which, as the name suggests, are located in the groin, as well as on the head of the penis and foreskin. This kind of condylomas has very dangerous consequences for men and requires treatment.

Condylomas on the penis can lead to a narrowing of the foreskin, which can make it difficult to expose the head of the penis and lead to problems in your personal life.

It must also be remembered that in some cases such formations are not an indicator of HPV, but of other sexually transmitted diseases that have not yet manifested themselves (for example, syphilis).

Another danger of HPV is that a carrier of the virus can transmit it to their partner, also putting them at risk of developing cancer. Transmission of the virus is also possible to the fetus from an infected mother, so couples wishing to have children should pay special attention to HPV and other diseases of this kind.

How is the virus transmitted to children?

HPV is spread through skin-to-skin or blood contact:

• A pregnant mother can pass the infection to her baby through the bloodstream before birth or through the vaginal canal during childbirth. This is called perinatal transmission.
• Children with warts on their hands can transmit the virus through skin-to-skin contact. The spread of the virus to the genital area occurs when touching it with your hands. This route of infection is called autoinoculation.
• A caregiver with warts can transmit the virus through skin contact with the child's hands or genitals. This is called heteroinoculation.
• HPV can be transmitted from a person's skin to the child's genital area through sexual contact - in the event of violence.
• Rarely, HPV can be transmitted through contact with inanimate objects or surfaces. If an adult who has warts uses a towel and then a child uses the same towel, the virus can be passed on to the child. This is called fomite transmission.

HPV is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, even if there are no warts or papillomas on the skin. After infection, the virus remains in the body. A person may be a carrier

Etiology

The reason for the appearance of papillomas in men on the body is the penetration and active reproduction of HPV in the body. The virus is transmitted:

• with unprotected coitus (traditional, oral, anal);
• with a blood transfusion taken from a person with HPV;
• upon contact of mucous membranes or skin, especially if there is damage to it (scratches, abrasions, cuts).

You can become infected in public places (sauna, bathhouse, swimming pool, solarium, etc.), in hairdressing salons and beauty salons, where proper antiseptic treatment of instruments is neglected. There is also a risk of infection in dental offices if instruments are not properly sterilized. But the virus is not transmitted simply by interacting with an infected patient.

Its cunning lies in the fact that after infection, papillomas do not appear immediately. These neoplasms appear on the skin or mucous membranes when the disease becomes active. Namely when:

• weakened immune defense;
• intense physical activity;
• stress and nervous exhaustion;
• the presence of other diseases that are sexually transmitted.

Viruses concentrate in certain places of the skin and mucous membranes, change the structure of epithelial cells, resulting in the formation of papillomas.

Preventing HPV infection

Like many other viruses, HPV becomes active and causes disease in people with weakened immune systems. That is why children are susceptible to the development of papillomatosis. In some people, HPV can clear up without treatment if the body mounts an immune response to the virus.

It is especially important to vaccinate girls, because... For them, HPV infection is fraught with the development of cancer. The best and most modern means of protecting against papillomavirus is vaccination. Girls should receive the vaccine (Gardasil, Cervarix) before they become sexually active

The most common vaccine is called Gardasil, which is currently used to immunize school-aged girls - nine years of age and older. The vaccine provides immunity against two strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer and two strains associated with genital warts. Vaccination is carried out with three injections of the vaccine over six months. It is recommended to get vaccinated before becoming sexually active. The vaccine is effective in protecting against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Vaccination is also possible after the onset of sexual activity before the age of 26 years. For boys, vaccination protects against colorectal cancer caused by HPV.

Rarely, the virus causes recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, in which viral warts grow in the larynx, causing a benign tumor of the larynx in children. These tumors are treatable, but, unfortunately, are completely incurable. In large numbers, neoplasms caused by HPV can cause airway obstruction.

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Types of papillomas

The most common types of papillomas are:

• Simple or otherwise vulgar papillomas. This is a large papule, at first it is small, as it grows its surface becomes rough, the color of such papillomas differs little from healthy tissue. Several small ones can form around one wart at once;
• Acrochords are thread-like formations. At an early stage, a yellowish-colored compaction appears on the skin, which, gradually stretching out, acquires a thin stalk. Locations: eyelids, neck, groin area, area under the breast;
• Flat - seals that rise slightly above the body. They are similar in appearance to moles, but unlike them they have a dense structure. They can be located in groups, most often covering the anal area, scrotum in men, labia in women, back, neck;
• Genital warts. These are papillary neoplasms, most often several of these papillomas appear in one place at once, which leads to their rapid growth and acquisition of a “cauliflower” or “cockscomb” shape. Localization of condylomas - vagina, labia, groin area, penis in men;
• Plantar warts. They are distinguished by the germination of the main part deep into the tissues, which leads to the inclusion of nerve endings in the pathological process and, accordingly, causes pain. The visible part of plantar papillomas is flat, yellow, and dense.

The most likely oncogenic nature of the origin of papillomas located on the mucous membranes. But in any case, when viral growths appear on the body, consultation with a dermatologist, oncologist and treatment, which involves removal of warts and antiviral therapy, is necessary.

Diagnosis of HPV

The pediatrician will definitely pay special attention to diagnosing HPV and genital warts in a child. If you see that your child has a wart, immediately visit a doctor and start treatment. There is no need to hope that “it will go away on its own” and “no big deal.” Just the opposite: scary, threatening cancer or big problems in the future. You especially need to monitor the presence of papillomas and warts if you have a daughter.

Any child with genital warts needs a full medical examination, which includes the following:

• Examination of the child's anus and genital area.
• Questioning parents about whether they have HPV infection, genital or common warts.
• Questioning the mother for an abnormal Pap smear result that may indicate HPV infection.
• Interview parents for any signs of possible child sexual activity and possible child abuse.

In mature girls, a colposcopy and Pap smear may be done to look for signs of problems that could lead to cervical cancer. Early detection of the problem allows for treatment.

Immunological testing for HPV types is possible to identify high-risk strains that can cause cancer.

Removal of papillomas

Initially, the patient is almost always asked to remove papillomas from the body in one of the following ways:

• Cryodestruction.
• Electrocoagulation.
• With a radio knife.
• By surgical method.
• Laser exposure.

If papilloma is suspected of being oncogenic, a method is used that will help to collect biomaterial for histological examination. After removal of the formations, antiviral therapy is prescribed, its goal is to reduce the activity of the virus and strengthen the immune system. It is impossible to completely remove HPV from the body, so the main goal of therapy is to normalize the functioning of the immune system and to eliminate the influence on the body of factors that provoke a relapse of the disease.

In our clinic, experienced dermatologists, oncologists, urologists, gynecologists, together with endocrinologists and an allergist-immunologist, form examination and treatment programs. It is easy to remove papillomas, but with the removal of papillomas, the causes of disturbances in immune and metabolic processes do not disappear. It is necessary to undergo an appropriate examination to identify the causes and subsequent therapy.