Papillomas (or warts) are not as common in men.
They usually do not cause pain, but they need treatment, as they pose a threat to both the owner and those around him.
What is it
A papilloma is a growth formed due to the excessive division of epithelial cells of the skin or mucosa.
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.
It has been proven that about half of the adult population are carriers of one or another type 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 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 undergo a malignant tumor and turn into a cancerous tumor.
Why do papillomas appear on the skin?
You can get the virus through contact with a carrier or through family 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 negative 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.
When HPV, the main cause of papillomas on the skin, enters the body, it affects the basal layer of the epithelium at the place of its transition from multilayer to cylindrical. As a result, the infected cell becomes benign, but then it is able to regenerate and trigger the mechanism of cancer development.
A pedunculated neoplasm deserves special attention - due to its sensitivity to injury, it can infect the surrounding healthy layers and cause multiple papillomatosis.
Warts do not always turn into tumors. If they are caused by viruses that are of the low oncogenic 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, soft-touch growth that looks like a mushroom or cabbage floret. Its size can reach 2 cm.
Neoplasms are of the following types:
- simple - these are thick hard growths, the size of which starts from 1 mm. They tend to cluster in rows under a single layer of corneum. Such papillomas form under the knees, on the back of the fingers and palms.
- Plantar warts, similar to calluses, are formed by small shiny bumps. Over time, they grow and are distinguished by a characteristic prominent lip. Branches differ from the main growth in the form of smaller children's 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 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 reference for PCR diagnosis of the DNA of the virus. According to his answers, the doctor will be able to determine the type of strain, the degree of oncogenicity and its quantity. PCR also allows you to understand whether papillomatosis is chronic or appeared suddenly against the background of a sharp decrease in immunity.
A micropreparation of the skin 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 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 growth sclerosis, the 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 can differ from each other in their histological structure.
For example, areas of parakeratosis and vacuolated epithelial cells are inherent in common skin papillomas. Formations with polymorphism of epithelial cells are determined in senile keratosis. In ICD 10, skin papilloma 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 chosen by doctors individually. 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 vaporization;
- chemical destruction.
Warts with signs of degeneration undergo surgical removal with the capture of healthy tissue. After the external signs of papillomavirus transmission are eliminated, the patient is prescribed a course of 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, released in the form of a spray, is a topical preparation. Its use gives 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 the explanation of the features of the transmission of the virus and methods of protection. Special attention is paid to a healthy lifestyle, development of resistance to stress and timely treatment of any infectious disease.