Papillomas (or warts) are not so common in men.
Usually they do not cause pain, but they do need treatment, as they pose a threat to both their owner and those around them.
What is that
Papilloma is a growth due to excessive cell division of the epithelium of the skin or mucous membranes.
Its appearance is caused by the papillomavirus - 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 approximately half of the adult population carries either strain or exhibits clinical manifestations of the disease.
A person can cope with the virus every day and not get sick with active immune protection. But a decrease in resistance can make the body vulnerable.
To date, over 100 types of HPV have been identified.
What does the papilloma look like on the skin: treatment and prevention of papillomavirus infection
The external manifestation of the human papilloma virus are papillomas on the skin. Neoplasms, commonly called warts, are benign in nature. But a seemingly harmless growth can turn malignant and turn into a cancerous tumor.
Why do papillomas appear on the skin?
You can contract 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 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 conditions of high humidity.
When HPV, the main cause of skin papillomas, enters the body, it affects the basal layer of the epithelium at the site of its transition from multilayered to columnar. As a result, the infected cell becomes benign, but subsequently it is able to regenerate and trigger the cancer development mechanism.
A stalked tumor deserves special attention - due to its susceptibility to injury, it can infect surrounding healthy integuments and cause multiple papillomatosis.
Warts do not always turn into tumors. If they are caused by viruses with low oncogenicity, do 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 the papilloma look like on the skin? The standard option is a rough, soft-touch growth that resembles a mushroom or cabbage inflorescence. Its size can reach 2 cm.
Neoplasms are of the following types:
- simple - these are coarse, hard growths, the size of which starts from 1 mm. They tend to accumulate in networks under a single stratum corneum. Such papillomas form under the knees, on the backs of the fingers and palms.
- 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 small 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 similarity to flattened cones. If present, people complain of itching, sometimes - redness of the focus.
- Genital warts are neoplasms that appear on the genitals of both men and women. They affect the skin and mucous membranes. The color of genital warts is flesh, pink, red. The sizes vary from 1 mm to several centimeters.
After a visual examination of the patient, the specialist gives him a referral for a 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 its oncogenicity and its quantity. PCR also allows you to understand whether the papillomatosis is chronic or whether it appeared suddenly against the background of a sharp decrease in immunity.
A skin papilloma micropreparation is represented by the 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. Often it turns out to be edematous, inflamed and filled with 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 pathological cells. This is a sign 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 ICD 10, the cutaneous papilloma is recorded under the code B97. 7 "Papillomaviruses as a cause of diseases classified elsewhere".
Treatment and prevention of human papillomavirus infection
HPV treatment regimens are always chosen individually by doctors. 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 by one of the following methods:
- cryodestruction;
- radio wave therapy;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser evaporation;
- chemical destruction.
Warts showing signs of degeneration are subjected to surgical excision with capture of healthy tissue. Once the external signs of carriage of the papillomavirus have been eliminated, the patient is prescribed antiviral treatment and is offered regular examinations.
As a conservative therapy, drugs are prescribed to 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 of them is sex education for young people with an explanation of the characteristics of the transmission of the virus and 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.