Papillomas (or warts) are not as common in men.
They usually don't cause pain, but they do need treatment, as they pose a threat to both their owner and those around them.
What is
Papilloma is a growth formed due to excessive cell division of the skin epithelium or mucous membrane.
Its appearance is caused by the papilloma virus - it changes the DNA of human cells, causing them to multiply intensively.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common microorganism.
It has been established that about half of the adult population are carriers of one or another strain or have clinical manifestations of the disease.
A person can face the virus every day and not get sick thanks to active immune protection. But a decrease in resistance can make the body vulnerable.
To date, more than 100 types of HPV have been identified.
What papilloma looks like on the skin: treatment and prevention of papillomavirus infection
The external manifestation of the human papillomavirus is papillomas on the skin. Neoplasms, popularly known as warts, are benign in nature. But a seemingly harmless growth can become malignant and turn into a cancerous tumor.
Why do papillomas appear on the skin?
You can get the virus through contact with a carrier of the strain or through household contact when using contaminated items.
In newborns, the cause of papillomatosis is passage through the mother's infected birth canal.
HPV infection also occurs under the influence of such adverse factors as:
- weakening of the immune system;
- sex life with unverified partners;
- bad habits;
- long-term treatment with certain medications;
- tendency to depression;
- infectious diseases;
- non-compliance with hygiene rules in public places with high humidity conditions.
When HPV, the main cause of papillomas on the skin, enters the body, it affects the basal layer of the epithelium at the site of its transition from multilayered to cylindrical. As a result, the infected cell becomes benign, but is subsequently able to regenerate and trigger the mechanism for cancer development.
A pedunculated neoplasm deserves special attention: due to its susceptibility to injury, it can infect surrounding healthy integuments and cause papillomatosis multiplex.
Warts do not always turn into tumors. If they are caused by viruses that are of a low oncogenicity type, you should not worry. These are strains 42, 44, 11 and 6. A dermatologist or venereologist can determine the degree of oncogenic risk.
Diagnosis of papillomatosis
What does papilloma look like on the skin? The standard option is a rough, smooth-to-the-touch growth that looks like a mushroom or cabbage inflorescence. Its size can reach 2 cm.
Neoplasms are of the following types:
- simple - these are thick and hard growths, the size of which starts from 1 mm. They tend to accumulate in formations under a single stratum corneum. Such papillomas form below the knees, on the backs of the fingers and palms.
- Plantar warts, similar to calluses, form from small shiny bumps. Over time, they grow larger and are distinguished by a characteristic protruding edge. The branches diverge from the main growth in the form of smaller childhood warts.
- Filamentous growths resemble elongated cone-shaped sticks, the length of which reaches 6 mm.
- Flat neoplasms are characterized by a natural shade of the body and a similarity to flattened cones. If they are present, people complain of itching, occasionally redness of the focus.
- Genital warts are neoplasms that appear on the genitals of men and women. They affect the skin and mucous membranes. The color of genital warts is flesh, pink, red. Sizes vary from 1 mm to several centimeters.
After a visual examination of the patient, the specialist gives him a referral for PCR diagnosis of the DNA of the virus. Based on your answers, the doctor will be able to determine the type of strain, the degree of oncogenicity, and the amount. PCR also allows you to understand whether papillomatosis is chronic or appeared suddenly against the background of a sharp decrease in immunity.
A papilloma micropreparation of the skin is represented by connective tissue stroma and epithelium. The nature of the latter determines the type of neoplasm, which is squamous cell and transitional. The connective tissue of the stroma is defined as dense or loose. It is often edematous, swollen, and filled with blood vessels. In the case of growth sclerosis, a diagnosis of fibropapilloma is made.
The epithelial layer covering the wart shows an increase in the number and size of pathological cells. This is indicative of hyperkeratosis. Papillomas may differ from each other in their histological structure.
For example, areas of parakeratosis and vacuolated epithelial cells are inherent in common skin tags. In senile keratosis, formations with polymorphism of epithelial cells are determined. In ICD 10, skin tag is recorded under code B97. 7 "Papillomaviruses as a cause of diseases classified elsewhere".
Treatment and prevention of human papillomavirus infection
HPV treatment regimens are always individually selected by doctors. If a virus is detected before its clinical manifestation, the patient is offered the use of cytostatics.
Depending on the specific symptoms and localization, the treatment of papillomas on the skin is carried out according to one of the following methods:
- cryodestruction;
- radio wave therapy;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser evaporation;
- chemical destruction.
Warts with signs of degeneration are subject to surgical excision with the capture of healthy tissues. After the external signs of papillomavirus carriage are eliminated, the patient is prescribed a course of antiviral therapy and offered regular examinations.
As conservative therapy, drugs are prescribed that inhibit the activity of the virus and increase the body's defenses.
The drug, released in the form of an aerosol, is a topical preparation. Its use confers an antiviral and immunomodulatory effect. The spray is included in the complex therapy of genital warts.
Prevention of HPV infection has several directions. An important one of them is the sexual education of young people with an explanation of the characteristics of transmission of the virus and protection methods. Particular attention is paid to a healthy lifestyle, the development of resistance to stress and the timely treatment of any diseases of an infectious nature.