Papillomas (or warts) are not as common in men.
They usually do not cause pain, but do need treatment, as they pose a threat to both their owner and those around them.
What is that
Papilloma is a growth formed due to excessive cell division of the epithelium of the skin or mucous membrane.
Its appearance is caused by the papillomavirus - it changes the DNA of human cells, causing them to multiply intensively.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common microorganism.
About half of the adult population has been established to carry either 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 stamina can make the body vulnerable.
More than 100 types of HPV have been identified to date.
What does papilloma look like on the skin: treatment and prevention of papillomavirus infection
The external manifestation of the human papillomavirus is papillomas on the skin. Neoplasms, commonly referred to 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?
It is possible to contract the virus through contact with a carrier of the strain or through home contact when using contaminated items.
In newborns, the cause of papillomatosis is the passage through the mother's infected birth canal.
HPV infection also occurs under the influence of adverse factors such 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-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 multilayer 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 multiple papillomatosis.
Warts don't always turn into tumors. If they are caused by viruses that have a low type of oncogenicity, you shouldn't 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, soft growth that looks like a mushroom or cabbage inflorescence. Its size can reach 2 cm.
Neoplasms are of the following types:
- simple: these are hard and coarse growths, the size of which starts from 1 mm. They tend to accumulate in matrices under a single stratum corneum. Such papillomas form under the knees, on the back of the fingers and palms of the hands.
- Plantar warts, similar to calluses, form from small, shiny bumps. Over time they grow and are distinguished by a characteristic protruding rim. The branches diverge from the main growth in the form of smaller infantile 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 resemblance 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 the genital warts is flesh, pink, red. The dimensions 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 virus DNA. Based on his answers, the doctor will be able to determine the type of strain, the degree of its oncogenicity and the amount. PCR also allows you to understand whether papillomatosis is chronic or whether it appeared suddenly against the background of a sharp decrease in immunity.
A micropreparation of the cutaneous papilloma is represented by the stroma and the epithelium of the connective tissue. The nature of the latter determines the type of neoplasm, which is a transitional and squamous cell. The connective tissue of the stroma is defined as dense or loose. It often turns out to be edematous, inflamed and full of blood vessels. In 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 the pathological cells. This is indicative of hyperkeratosis. Papillomas can differ from each other in their histological structure.
For example, areas of parakeratosis and vacuolated epithelial cells are inherent in common skin papillomas. In senile keratosis, formations with polymorphism of epithelial cells are determined. In the ICD 10, the cutaneous papilloma is registered with the code B97. 7 "Papillomaviruses as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere".
Treatment and prevention of human papillomavirus infection
HPV treatment regimens are always selected individually by physicians. If a virus is detected before its clinical manifestation, the patient is offered the use of cytostatics.
Based 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 capture of healthy tissues. After the external signs of papillomavirus transport have been eliminated, the patient is prescribed a course of antiviral therapy and offered regular examinations.
As a 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 a spray, is a topical preparation. Its use confers an antiviral and immunomodulatory effect. The spray is included in the complex therapy of genital warts.
The prevention of HPV infection has several directions. An important of these is the sexual education of young people with an explanation of the characteristics of the transmission of the virus and the methods of protection. 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.