Papillomas (or warts) are not so common in men.
They usually do not cause pain, but they need treatment, as they pose a threat to both their owner and those around him.
What is
A papilloma is a growth caused by the excessive division of epithelial cells of the skin or mucous membrane.
Its appearance is caused by the papilloma virus - it changes the DNA of human cells, causing them to reproduce intensively.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common microorganism.
It was found that about half of the adult population are carriers of one strain or another or have clinical manifestations of the disease.
A person can face the virus every day and not get sick due to active immune protection. But reducing resistance can make the body vulnerable.
To date, more than 100 types of HPV have been identified.
What a papilloma looks like on the skin: treatment and prevention of papilloma virus infection
The external manifestation of the human papillomavirus is papillomas on the skin. Neoplasms, popularly called warts, are benign in nature. But a seemingly harmless growth can undergo malignancy and transform 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 harmful factors as:
- weakening of the immune system;
- sex life with unverified partners;
- bad habits;
- long-term treatment with certain drugs;
- tendency to depression;
- infectious diseases;
- non-observance of hygiene rules in public places with high humidity conditions.
When HPV, the main cause of papilloma on the skin, enters the body, it affects the basal layer of the epithelium at the point of its transition from multilayer to cylindrical. As a result, the infected cell becomes benign, but can later regenerate and initiate the mechanism for cancer development.
The neoplasm on the peduncle deserves special attention - due to its susceptibility to injury, it can infect the surrounding healthy skin and cause multiple papillomatosis.
Warts do not always turn into tumors. If they are caused by viruses of low oncogenicity, you should not worry. These are strains 42, 44, 11 and 6. The degree of oncogenic risk can be determined by a dermatologist or venereologist.
Diagnosis of papillomatosis
What does papilloma look like on the skin? The standard option is a rough, soft growth that looks like a mushroom or cabbage blossom. Its size can reach 2 cm.
Neoplasms are of the following types:
- simple - these are rough hard growths, the size of which starts from 1 mm. They tend to accumulate in rows below one stratum corneum. Such papillomas form below the knees, on the back of the fingers and palms.
- Plantar warts, similar to calluses, are small shiny bumps. They grow over time and are characterized by a characteristic protruding edge. Branches separate from the main growth in the form of smaller baby nipples.
- Filamentous outgrowths 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 resemblance to flattened cones. If they are present, people complain of itching, occasionally - of 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 fleshy, 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 diagnostics of the DNA virus. According to his answers, the doctor will be able to determine the type of strain, the degree of its oncogenicity and the quantity. PCR also allows you to understand whether papillomatosis is chronic or suddenly appeared against the background of a sharp drop in immunity.
A micropreparation of skin papilloma is represented by stroma of connective tissue and epithelium. The nature of the latter determines the type of neoplasm, which is a squamous and transitional cell. The connective tissue of the stroma is defined as dense or loose. It often turns out to be edematous, inflamed and filled with blood vessels. In the case of sclerosis of growths, a diagnosis of fibropapilloma is made.
The epithelial layer covering the wart shows an increase in the number and size of pathological cells. This indicates hyperkeratosis. Papillomas can differ from each other by their histological structure.
For example, areas of parakeratosis and vacuolated epithelial cells are characteristic of common skin papillomas. Formations with polymorphism of epithelial cells are determined in senile keratosis. In the ICD, 10 skin papillomas are recorded under the code B97. 7 "Papilloma viruses as causative agents of diseases classified elsewhere".
Treatment and prevention of human papillomavirus infection
HPV treatment regimens are always chosen individually by doctors. If the virus is detected before its clinical manifestation, the patient is offered the use of cytostatics.
Based on specific symptoms and localization, the treatment of papillomas on the skin is carried out using one of the following methods:
- cryodestruction;
- radio wave therapy;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser vaporization;
- chemical destruction.
Warts with signs of degeneration are subject to surgical excision with capture of healthy tissue. After external signs of papillomavirus transmission are eliminated, the patient is prescribed antiviral therapy and regular examinations are offered.
As a conservative therapy, drugs are prescribed that inhibit the activity of the virus and increase the body's defenses.
The drug, which is released in the form of a spray, is a local preparation. Its use provides 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 virus transmission and methods of protection. Special attention is paid to a healthy lifestyle, development of resistance to stress and timely treatment of all infectious diseases.