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 DNA viruses without envelopes that are transmitted in various ways. HPV infection can occur during sexual intercourse, with microtrauma of the mucous membranes and skin, during delivery (from an infected mother to a child).
Human papillomavirus in adults
Infection of the human papilloma (PVI) is quite common. Numerous studies show that more than 80% of the young population is a carrier. The infection, entering the body, affects the scaly epithelium of the skin and can multiply for years. Its various types, affecting the mucous membranes, provoke the appearance of benign conjunctival, oral and genital formations.
Papillomas in women
Human papillomavirus infection is equally threatening for both men and women. But some types of pathogenic microorganisms pose a great danger to the health and life of women. Numerous studies have shown that HPV can cause cervical cancer.
Papilloma virus in pregnant women
A strong 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 scare pregnant women. In that case, the woman needs an urgent consultation with a gynecologist.
HPV is not a contraindication to conception, although during delivery 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 immunodeficiencies, 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 men and women equally. HPV 16 and 18, which can cause cervical cancer in women, are rarely detected in men. Once in the body, papillomavirus of this type remains in the urethral canal for some time, after which it self-eliminates due to the absence of a favorable environment for its reproduction. Genital warts in men can appear:
- more often in the coronal and frenulum of the penis;
- much less frequently 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 to 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 cutaneous or transitional epithelium. It can be the skin, the mucous membrane of the mouth, pharynx, respiratory tract. Human papillomavirus transmission occurs in childhood:
- during the period of intrauterine development of the fetus;
- when the child passes through the mother's birth canal;
- form of home contact from parents to the baby;
- within the team (kindergarten, school, sports and development sections).
But even if a child is infected, the body's papilloma virus can clear itself after a certain period of time. If this did not happen immediately, after the onset of puberty, in many cases, the papillomas of the body and mucous membranes would disappear.
Papillomas in 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, these formations can start to hurt and bleed.
Papillomas in children in 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 transmitted from mother to child, its external manifestations are usually observed before the baby reaches the age of five. The cause of laryngeal papilloma is the penetration of HPV types 6 and 11 into the child's body.
Forms of infection, types of PVI and their manifestations
The papilloma virus is highly contagious. The forms of transmission are diverse, which significantly increases the number of people at risk. More than one hundred varieties of papilloma pathogens are divided by modern medicine into several types, characterized by their own routes of transmission, external manifestations and level of damage to health.
How human papilloma is transmitted
Papillomavirus infection can occur through sexual intercourse, domestic use or during childbirth, in which pathogenic microorganisms are transmitted from mother to child. It is also possible for a person to become self-infected with one of the papilloma viruses. Self-inoculation can occur with mechanical damage to the skin or mucous membranes, for example, during epilation.
Papillomas: causes of infection through sexual intercourse
For papillomavirus infection, the reasons may be different. But one of the most common is sexual transmission. In addition, you can become infected not only with vaginal intercourse, but also with anal and even oral intercourse. There are about 40 types of papillomaviruses, whose reasons for transmission are frequent changes in partners and early onset of sexual activity.
Domestic virus transmission
The insidious character of HPV is that there is a high probability of its transmission at home. Several factors can increase the risk of contracting the papilloma virus, the reasons for this are different, for example:
- the presence of cuts and scrapes 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 transmitted from mother to child during childbirth. In addition, the baby may be infected during the prenatal period. If a pregnant woman has HPV type 6, 11, 16 or 18, the pathogens most often affect the baby's oral mucosa. These types of papilloma infections often cause the development of juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis.
Many women mistakenly believe that having a caesarean section will help prevent the baby from becoming infected. But even in this case, the likelihood of transmission of the papillomavirus still remains, and pathogenic microorganisms can be transmitted through the placenta.
How the human papillomavirus manifests itself
HPV is a group of viruses that cause the development of benign tumors in vivo and under certain factors that lead to their malignancy. By location, papillomas can be cutaneous or anogenital. These neoplasms can manifest:
- Common warts, characterized by a dense rough surface with additional growths. The size of these neoplasms is 1 mm. As a rule, its appearance is observed in the palms and fingers, in the knee region (mainly in children), but these papillomas can also be present in the body. The spread of common warts is facilitated by a rapid decrease in immunity.
- Plantar warts that cause specific 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 common calluses. Its size is small at first. Later, however, the papilloma grows and additional tumors may appear around it.
- Flat warts that appear on the body in the presence of HPV types 3 and 10. These neoplasms practically merge with the skin, they 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 reached the age of fifty or more. These papillomas can appear on the eyelid, body, armpit, etc. Its length sometimes reaches 6 mm.
- Genital warts developing in the context of HPV 6 and 11. In women, these neoplasms can be located in the anus and rectal mucosa, in the walls of the vagina, in the uterus and in the vulva, in the groin area.
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 the more than 100 existing varieties affect the male and female genitals and cause the development of genital warts.
Cancer risk classification
A DNA virus without an envelope can not only cause uncontrolled division of skin cells and mucous membranes, but also contribute to the malignancy of neoplasms. However, not all papilloma leads to the development of cancer. Several 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 intimate places and other parts of the body;
- the use of intrauterine devices as contraceptives, as well as the prolonged use of oral contraceptives;
- endometriosis and other diseases of the organs of the female reproductive system.
Determining the type of papillomavirus will help to make a complete diagnosis, the need for which is determined by the doctor.
Types of non-oncogenic viruses
Among the huge variety of HPV, there is a group of pathogenic microorganisms that do not pose a particular health hazard. Non-oncogenic HPV types include papillomavirus of genotypes 1, 2, 3 and 5. Their presence in the body causes the appearance of various types of warts on the skin.
- Common, flat warts on the hands and soles of the feet appear when infected with HPV genotype 1.
- The virus of genotype 2 leads to the appearance of flat and common formations in the hands.
- HPV 3 causes uncontrolled cell division of the skin and the formation of flat, youthful warts.
Low oncogenic risk virus
Human papilloma with low oncogenic risk develops when HPV 6, 11, 42, 43 and 44 enter the body. The most common viruses are genotypes 6 and 11. They are responsible for about 90% of all infections. These types of pathogenic microorganisms cause the formation of a special type of genital papillomas - genital warts. Its location on the mucous membrane of the cervix or penis in men presents a certain risk of malignancy in the formations.
Papilloma virus with high oncogenic risk
HPV genotypes 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66 and 68 have a high oncogenic risk. More than 70% of infections are infections by viruses types 16 and 18. Papilloma type 18 is often found in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Pathogenic microorganisms of these types cause the development of cancer of the cervix, anus, vagina, vulva or male penis.
Classification of viruses by location of manifestations
The external manifestation of papillomas in women and men can be seen 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 more frequently observed. After the virus enters the body, three stages of its development can be observed:
- in the latent stage, no clinical manifestations of infection are observed;
- in the subclinical form, the symptoms and morphological signs are minimal;
- the clinical stage implies 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 in the neck of people with the virus can manifest themselves throughout life. These formations are benign and only provide psychological discomfort to the person. In addition, small neoplasms on a thin leg can get caught in clothing, injure yourself, cause pain and bleed. If these problems arise, it is advisable to remove papillomas from the neck.
Papilloma in an intimate place
Papilloma in an intimate location is called genital warts. It can be located in women on the vaginal mucosa or cervix, in men - on the penis. In addition, genital warts can develop in the tissues of the anus. All types of papillomavirus 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 are most often formed in people of mature age who have HPV infection. They are usually located on the edge of the lower eyelid. Neoplasms can be in the form of cauliflower. The danger of such formations is the constant exposure to direct ultraviolet rays and the habit of rubbing the eyes with dirty hands. In the latter case, the risk of infection with papillomas on the eyelid increases significantly. The color of the neoplasm may be fleshy or dark.
Papillomas: treatment and diagnosis
Once in the body, the papilloma virus can behave in different ways. The organism's response 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. Therefore, there are three main types of behavior of the papilloma virus in the human body:
- Pathogenic microorganisms enter the bloodstream and behave passively. In this case, a person carries the virus and can infect people who have close contact with them.
- The virus enters the body, but does not integrate with the cell chromosomes, but at the same time it stimulates the uncontrolled division of skin cells and mucous membranes and the formation of papillomas and warts.
- HPV penetrates cells, changing their structure and becoming the cause of the formation of malignant tumors.
In each case, specific methods of diagnosis and treatment 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 genital organs. To determine the presence of HPV in the laboratory and its type of help:
- PCR method. This test is highly sensitive to detect an infection that is in a subclinical or latent stage of development.
- Digene test. Hybridization analysis detecting 13 varieties of the virus with high oncogenic potential and 5 with low oncogenic potential. As a rule, for a more accurate diagnosis of the papilloma virus, the digene test is combined with cytological studies.
In men, diagnosing the papilloma virus is particularly difficult. Screening for male patients is not relevant. In this case, the diagnosis is only possible in the presence of external clinical manifestations of the disease.
Papillomas: how to get rid of external manifestations
If a person has papillomas in the body, the doctor will tell you how to get rid of them. Trying to deal with external manifestations on your own is not worth it, because it is fraught with dangerous health consequences, in particular infection. The removal of papillomas is necessary for several reasons, namely:
- some types of papillomas can grow and become malignant over time;
- the presence of neoplasms brings psychological discomfort to the patient;
- papillomas in 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 must contact a dermatologist or dermatovenerologist.
Laser removal of papillomas
The laser papilloma removal method is highly effective. Its use allows to get rid of benign neoplasms quickly. Laser excision of formations with a diameter of about 5 mm takes just a few minutes. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to remove the papilloma in several stages. The procedure is performed with local anesthesia. Tissue removed by laser excision is not suitable for histology.
How to remove papillomas by radio wave method
Removing radio waves is an 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 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
Talking about the external manifestations of papillomas and the methods of getting rid of them, we can not fail to mention the removal with liquid nitrogen, also called cryodestruction. This method of removing papillomas from the body is quite effective, but the likelihood of recurrence of external manifestations remains. When performing the procedure, low temperature nitrogen affects the papilloma cells, freezing them. This method is characterized by minimal trauma and absence of painful sensations.
Electrocoagulation
Electrocoagulation - removal of papillomas from the body through a targeted effect on the neoplasia tissue with a current discharge. This method is highly efficient (80-95%). Its main advantage is that, after the removal of the papilloma formation, no trace remains. In a week, only a small crust remains on the skin, which disappears after the period is over. You cannot pull it out alone.
Drug treatment
The removal of papillomas with a laser or any other method recommended by the doctor is just a solution to external problems that cause aesthetic, psychological or physical discomfort. The methods of removing neoplasms have nothing to do with combating the papilloma virus, the treatment of which requires an integrated approach.
Today, there is no specific drug for the effective elimination of papillomavirus from the body and the treatment of its external manifestations. The comprehensive approach to the treatment practiced by medicine today is:
- removal of papillomas with laser, liquid nitrogen and other methods of excision of benign neoplasms;
- immune therapy designed to activate the body's natural protective functions;
- general strengthening of the body, taking vitamin complexes, maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
By contacting a doctor and passing all the necessary studies, you will be able to confirm or deny the presence of papillomavirus in the body, learn how to get rid of neoplasms and reduce the risk of their reappearance.
HPV and immunity
Once in the body, HPV may not appear 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 marked decrease in immunity. Therefore, the risk of papillomas in the neck, skin and mucous membranes throughout the body increases significantly with:
- transfer of infectious diseases or surgical interventions;
- pregnancy and lactation period;
- constant stress, hypothermia and other factors that negatively affect immunity;
- long-term use of certain medications;
- the presence of infections of the genital tract.
Any factors that weaken the immune system can contribute to the multiplication of the virus in the blood. Therefore, it is important to know not only how to remove the papillomas, but also how to strengthen the immune system, preventing its reappearance.
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 see 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
The prevention of the papilloma virus by popular and traditional methods aims to reduce the risk of infection. It is also foreseen the multiplication of the virus in the body and the formation in the skin and mucous membranes of external manifestations such as papilloma in an intimate location, on the neck, eyelids, palms, soles, etc.
Prevention of human papillomavirus infection
So that one day you don't have to face the question of how to remove papillomas, you need to remember the main measures to prevent infection by the virus. In intimate relationships with new sexual partners, the use of condoms and other contraceptives, unfortunately, does not protect the body from HPV. Just maintaining a monogamous relationship with a trusted partner can help reduce the risk of infection.
For the prevention of infection with the papilloma virus, traditional methods are not as effective as traditional ones. 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 for approximately 6, 5 years.
Prevention of HPV manifestations
For the prevention of papilloma virus activity, alternative treatment is effective with its prescriptions to strengthen the immune system. But before using them, a consultation with a doctor is necessary. Also, don't forget the most effective and safe methods of enhancing the body's natural protective functions through sports, healthy eating, firming.
Prevention of the papilloma virus at home is available to everyone. Taking care of your health, be sure to visit your doctor regularly for preventive purposes and to strengthen your immunity.