Papilloma is a benign formation on the skin or mucous membranes caused by one of the many types of viruses in the Papovaviridae family. Human papillomavirus or HPV is the generic name for a group of non-enveloped DNA viruses that are transmitted in various ways. HPV infection can occur during sex, with microtrauma to the mucous membranes and skin, during childbirth (from an infected mother to a child).
Human papillomavirus in adults
Human papilloma infection (PVI) is quite common. Numerous studies show that more than 80% of the young population are carriers. The infection, which enters the body, affects the squamous epithelium of the skin and can multiply there for years. Its different types, affecting the mucous membranes, provoke the appearance of benign conjunctival, oral and genital formations.
Papillomas in women
Human papillomavirus infection is equally threatening to men and women. But some types of pathogenic microorganisms pose a great danger to the health and life of women. Many studies have shown that HPV can cause cervical cancer.
Papilloma virus in pregnant women
A sharp weakening of the immune system and hormonal imbalance can cause active reproduction and symptomatic manifestations of the papilloma virus, which has been inactive in the body for a long time. During pregnancy, the appearance of papillomas on the skin and mucous membranes can frighten pregnant women. In this case, the woman needs an urgent consultation with a gynecologist.
HPV is not a contraindication for conception, although during childbirth there is a high probability of infection of the baby.
Papillomas in men
Papilloma in men for the most part does not give clinical manifestations. But men are both a source of infection and infect their sexual partners. In the normal state of the immune system, the activity of pathogenic microorganisms is reduced to zero. But with immune deficiencies, the situation may change, and the presence of the papilloma virus in the blood will begin to manifest itself actively, and in some cases, aggressively.
The type of sexually transmitted infection that causes genital warts affects both men and women. HPV 16 and 18, which can cause cervical cancer in women, are rarely detected in men. Once in the body, the papilloma virus of this type remains in the urethral canal for some time, after which it is eliminated due to the lack of a favorable environment for its reproduction. Genital warts in men can appear:
- most often on the coronal groove and the frenulum of the penis;
- much less often on the body of the penis or on the head;
- in the area of the external opening of the urethra;
- in the urethra itself;
- in the perianal region and in the anal canal.
Compared with women, papilloma in men rarely causes cancer to develop. The diagnosis of HPV in the male body is also difficult.
Human papilloma in children
Papillomas in women and men, as well as in children, affect all organs with integumentary or transitional epithelium. It can be the skin, the mucous membrane of the mouth, the pharynx, the respiratory tract. Transmission of the human papillomavirus in childhood occurs:
- during the period of intrauterine development of the fetus;
- when the child passes through the mother's birth canal;
- home contact from parents to the baby;
- within the team (nursery, school, sports and development).
But even if a child is infected, the papilloma virus from the body can go away after a while. If this did not happen immediately, after the onset of puberty, in many cases papillomas on the body and mucous membranes disappear.
Papillomas on the body
The most common in children are the clinical manifestations of human papilloma in the form of common or common warts. They are usually located on the inside and back of the palms or in the knee area. But often the appearance of papillomas with a protruding keratinized surface on any part of the body. They do not cause discomfort and are painless. With injuries, such formations can begin to hurt and bleed.
Papillomas in children on the laryngeal mucosa
The most common diagnosis in children, if the human papillomavirus is present in their body, is laryngeal papillomatosis. If the infection occurs during childbirth and the infection is passed from mother to child, its external manifestations are usually seen before the baby turns five years old. The cause of laryngeal papilloma is the penetration of HPV types 6 and 11 into the child's body.
Modes of infection, types of PVI and their manifestations
The papilloma virus is very contagious. The modes of transmission are varied, which considerably increases the number of people at risk. More than a hundred varieties of pathogens of papilloma are divided by modern medicine into different types, characterized by their own routes of transmission, external manifestations and level of harm to health.
How is human papilloma spread
Infection with papillomavirus can occur during sexual intercourse, through household use or during childbirth, in which pathogenic microorganisms are transmitted from mother to child. It is also possible that a person is self-infected with one of the papilloma viruses. Autoinoculation can occur with mechanical damage to the skin or mucous membranes, for example during hair removal.
Papillomas: causes of infection through sexual intercourse
For papillomavirus infection, the reasons may be different. But one of the most common is sexual transmission. Moreover, you can get infected not only through vaginal sex, but also through anal and even oral sex. There are about 40 types of papilloma virus, the reasons for transmission of which are frequent changes of partners and early sexual activity.
Domestic transmission of the virus
The insidious nature of HPV is that there is a high probability of its transmission in the household. There are several factors that can increase the risk of contracting the papilloma virus, the reasons are different, for example:
- the presence of cuts and scratches on the skin, as well as excessive dryness of the integument with the appearance of cracks;
- diseases that weaken the immune system (HIV infection, flu, herpes);
- long-term use of strong-acting drugs that suppress the function of the immune system.
Infection of babies during childbirth
Like many genital infections, the papilloma virus can be passed from mother to child during childbirth. In addition, the baby can be infected during the prenatal period. If a pregnant woman is a carrier of HPV types 6, 11, 16, or 18, the pathogens most often affect the baby's oral lining. These types of papilloma infections often cause the development of juvenile papillomatosis of the larynx.
Many women mistakenly believe that a cesarean will help prevent the baby from getting infected. But even in this case, the probability of transmission of the papilloma virus remains, and pathogenic microorganisms can be transmitted through the placenta.
How is the human papillomavirus manifested
HPV is a group of viruses that cause the development of benign tumors in vivo, and under certain factors leading to their malignancy. By localization, papillomas can be cutaneous or anogenital. Such neoplasms can manifest themselves:
- Common warts, characterized by a dense, rough surface with additional growths. The size of these neoplasms is 1 mm. As a rule, their appearance is observed on the palms and fingers, in the knee area (mainly in children), but such papillomas can also be present on the body. The spread of common warts is facilitated by a rapid decrease in immunity.
- Plantar warts that cause special discomfort and pain. The causative agents of these neoplasms are several types of HPV: 1, 2 and 4. In appearance, plantar formations can be confused with ordinary calluses. Their size is small at first. But later, the papilloma develops, and additional growths may appear around it.
- Flat warts that appear in the body in the presence of HPV types 3 and 10. These neoplasms practically merge with the skin, can have a round or polygonal shape. Often their appearance is accompanied by itching, redness and pain.
- Filamentous formations characteristic of carriers of the virus who have reached the age of fifty years or more. Such papillomas can appear on the eyelid, on the body, under the armpit, etc. Their length sometimes reaches 6 mm.
- Genital warts developing against the background of HPV 6 and 11. In women, these neoplasms can be localized in the anus and on the rectal lining, on the walls of the vagina, in the uterus and vulva, in the region ofoldest boy.
Types of papillomas
The main danger of the papilloma virus in men and women is that in modern medicine it is considered a carcinogen. About a third of over a hundred existing varieties affect both male and female genitals and cause the development of genital warts.
Cancer risk classification
Non-enveloped DNA virus can not only cause uncontrolled division of skin cells and mucous membranes, but also contribute to the malignancy of neoplasms. However, not all papillomas lead to the development of cancer. Various factors can increase the likelihood of developing oncogenic diseases:
- early onset of sexual activity, frequent change of partners and preference for anal sex;
- the presence of sexually transmitted infections that affect the genitals, both women and men;
- smoking and alcohol abuse, which negatively affect the state of the immune system and stimulate the appearance of papillomas in an intimate place and other parts of the body;
- the use of an intrauterine device as a contraceptive, as well as the long-term use of oral contraceptives;
- endometriosis and other diseases of the organs of the female reproductive system.
Determining the type of papillomavirus will help to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis, the need for which is determined by the doctor.
Types of non-oncogenic viruses
Among the wide variety of HPV, there is a group of pathogenic microorganisms that do not present any particular danger to health. Non-oncogenic types of HPV include papillomaviruses of genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 5. Their presence in the body causes various types of warts to appear on the skin.
- Common, flat warts on the hands and soles of the feet appear when infected with HPV genotype 1.
- Genotype 2 virus leads to the appearance of flat, vulgar formations on the hands.
- HPV 3 causes uncontrolled cell division of the skin and the formation of flat, juvenile warts.
Low risk oncogenic virus
A low risk oncogenic human papilloma develops when HPV 6, 11, 42, 43 and 44 enter the body. The most common viruses are genotypes 6 and 11. They account for about 90% of all infections. These types of pathogenic microorganisms cause the formation of a special type of genital papillomas - genital warts. Their localization on the mucous membrane of the cervix or penis in men presents a certain risk of malignancy of the formations.
High risk oncogenic papilloma virus
HPV genotypes 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66 and 68 are at high oncogenic risk. More than 70% of infections are infections with viruses types 16 and 18. Papilloma type 18 is often detected in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Pathogenic microorganisms of these types cause cancer of the cervix, anus, vagina, vulva or male penis to develop.
Classification of viruses by location of manifestations
The external manifestation of papillomas in women and men can be observed on the skin of open areas of the body, on the soles of the feet, as well as on the skin and mucous membranes of the intimate area. The lesions can be local and in people with severe immunodeficiency, multiple foci of neoplasms are most often observed. After the virus enters the body, three stages of its development can be noted:
- at the latent stage, clinical manifestations of infection are not observed;
- with a subclinical form, symptoms and morphological signs are minimal;
- the clinical stage involves the appearance of papillomas, dysplasias and malignant neoplasms.
The characteristics of external manifestations depend on the type of virus that infected the patient's body.
Papillomas on the neck
Papillomas on the neck of carriers of the virus can occur throughout their lives. Such formations are benign and only provide a person with psychological discomfort. In addition, small neoplasms on a thin leg can cling to clothes, be injured, cause pain and bleeding. If such problems arise, it is advisable to remove papillomas from the neck.
Papilloma in an intimate place
Papilloma in an intimate place is called genital warts. It can be localized in women on the vaginal mucosa or the cervix, in men - on the penis. In addition, genital warts can develop on the tissues of the anus. All types of papilloma virus that infect the genitals can be divided into:
- viruses with a high level of oncogenicity (HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35), which significantly increase the risk of malignancy of neoplasms, but do not cause genital warts;
- papilloma virus with a low level of oncogenicity (HPV 6, 11), which causes the formation of genital warts.
Papillomas on the eyelid
Eyelid papillomas most often form in middle-aged people who are carriers of an HPV infection. They are usually located at the edge of the lower eyelid. Neoplasms can be in the form of cauliflower. The danger of such formations is their constant exposure to direct UV rays and the habit of rubbing the eyes with dirty hands. In the latter case, the risk of infection with papillomas of the eyelid increases significantly. The color of the neoplasm can be flesh or dark.
Papillomas: treatment and diagnosis
Once in the body, the papilloma virus can behave in different ways. The response of the body depends on the type of virus itself, the state of immunity, the presence of concomitant diseases and other factors that are determined individually for each patient. So there are three main types of papilloma virus behavior in the human body:
- Pathogenic microorganisms enter the bloodstream and behave passively. In this case, a person is a carrier of the virus and can infect people who have close contact with them.
- The virus enters the body, but does not integrate into the chromosomes of cells, but at the same time stimulates the uncontrolled division of skin cells and mucous membranes and the formation of papillomas and warts.
- HPV enters cells, changes their structure and becomes the cause of the formation of malignant tumors.
In each case, specific diagnostic and treatment methods are needed to identify the virus.
Diagnosis of human papillomavirus
The main type of diagnosis is an external examination of the patient. It is relevant if the infection is manifested by the formation of papillomas (genital warts) on the external genitalia. To determine in the laboratory the presence of HPV and its type helps:
- PCR method. Such a test is very sensitive to detect an infection which is at a subclinical or latent stage of development.
- Digene test. Hybridization analysis detecting 13 varieties of virus with high oncogenic potential and 5 with low oncogenic potential. As a rule, for a more accurate diagnosis of papilloma virus, the digene test is combined with cytological studies.
In humans, the diagnosis of the papilloma virus is particularly difficult. Screening of male patients is irrelevant. In this case, the diagnosis is possible only in the presence of external clinical manifestations of the disease.
Papillomas: how to get rid of external manifestations
If a person has papillomas on the body, the doctor will tell you how to get rid of them. Trying to cope with external manifestations on your own is not worth it, as it has many dangerous consequences for health, in particular, infection. Removal of papillomas is necessary for several reasons, namely:
- some types of papillomas can develop and become malignant over time;
- the presence of neoplasms brings psychological discomfort to the patient;
- papillomas on the body and in the intimate area can be injured and bleed.
But, despite this, only a doctor can determine the need to remove papillomas. To do this, you need to contact a dermatologist or dermatovenerologist.
Removal of papillomas with a laser
The laser method of removing papillomas is very effective. Its use allows you to quickly get rid of benign neoplasms. The laser excision of formations with a diameter of about 5 mm takes only a few minutes. However, in some cases it may be necessary to remove the papilloma in several stages. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Tissue removed by laser excision is not suitable for histology.
How to remove papillomas by the radio wave method
Removal of radio waves is absolutely painless and quick way to get rid of papilloma. During the procedure, the neoplasm is excised in the area of its base. After removal, a small dark crust remains in its place. The excised material is suitable for histological analysis. When deciding how to remove papillomas without the risk of scarring, the radio wave method is the best option for patients.
Removal of papillomas with liquid nitrogen
Speaking of the external manifestations of papillomas and methods of getting rid of them, one can not fail to mention removal with liquid nitrogen, otherwise known as cryodestruction. This method of removing papillomas on the body is quite effective, but the likelihood of recurrence of external manifestations remains. When performing the procedure, nitrogen at a low temperature affects the papilloma cells and freezes them. This method is characterized by minimal trauma and the absence of painful sensations.
Electrocoagulation
Electrocoagulation - the removal of papillomas on the body by means of a targeted effect on the tissue of the neoplasm with current discharge. This method is very effective (80-95%). Its main advantage is that after removing the formation of the papilloma, no traces remain. In a week, only a small crust remains on the skin, which disappears after the expiration of the period. You can't tear it off yourself.
Medical treatment
Removing papillomas with a laser or any other method recommended by a doctor is only a solution to external problems that cause cosmetic, psychological or physical discomfort. Methods of removing neoplasms have nothing to do with the fight against the papilloma virus, the treatment of which requires an integrated approach.
Today, there is no specific drug for the effective removal of the papilloma virus from the body and the treatment of its external manifestations. The global approach to treatment practiced today by medicine is:
- removal of papillomas with laser, liquid nitrogen and other methods of excision of benign neoplasms;
- immunological therapy aimed at activating the natural protective functions of the body;
- general strengthening of the body, taking vitamin complexes, maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
By contacting a doctor and passing all the necessary studies, you can confirm or deny the presence of the papilloma virus in the body, learn how to get rid of neoplasms and reduce the risk of recurrence.
HPV and immunity
Once in the body, HPV may not manifest itself for a long time. Papillomas on the eyelid, neck, body or in the intimate area, which are external expressions of virus activity, appear with a sharp decrease in immunity. Thus, the risk of papillomas on the neck, skin and mucous membranes throughout the body increases significantly with:
- transfer of infectious diseases or surgical interventions;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding period;
- constant stress, hypothermia and other factors that negatively affect immunity;
- long-term use of certain drugs;
- the presence of genital tract infections.
Any factor that weakens the immune system can make the virus multiply in the blood. Therefore, it is important to know not only how to remove papillomas, but also how to strengthen the immune system, preventing their recurrence.
Papillomas: alternative treatment
If a papilloma appears on your body, it is strictly forbidden to remove it yourself at home. For safe and effective treatment, you need to consult a doctor. The specialist will prescribe the necessary studies and, based on their results, develop a treatment regimen. According to this scheme, under the supervision of a doctor, the patient can treat the papilloma virus at home.
HPV prevention
Prevention of papilloma virus by folk and traditional methods is to reduce the risk of infection. There is also the prevention of the multiplication of the virus in the body and the formation on the skin and mucous membranes of external manifestations such as papilloma in an intimate place, on the neck, eyelids, palms, soles, etc.
Prevention of infection with human papillomavirus
So that one day you did not face the question of how to remove papillomas, you need to remember the main measures for preventing infection with the virus. In intimate relationships with new sexual partners, unfortunately, using a condom and other contraceptives does not protect the body from HPV. Only maintaining a monogamous relationship with a trusted partner can help reduce the risk of infection.
For the prevention of papilloma virus infection, traditional methods are not as effective as traditional methods. Modern scientists have developed several vaccines that significantly reduce the risk of contracting varieties of HPV with high oncogenic potential (6, 11, 16 and 18).
The most suitable age for vaccination is between 10 and 25 years. Its effect is calculated over about 6. 5 years.
Prevention of manifestations of HPV
For the prevention of papilloma virus activity, alternative treatment is effective with its recipes for strengthening the immune system. But before using them, consultation with a doctor is necessary. Also, do not forget about the most effective and safest methods of increasing the body's natural protective functions through sports, healthy eating and hardening.
Preventing the papilloma virus at home is accessible to everyone. While taking care of your health, do not forget to visit your doctor regularly for preventive purposes and to strengthen your own immunity.