Papillomas (or warts) are not that common in men.
They don't usually cause pain, but they need to be treated because they pose a threat to both their owner and those around them.
What is that
Papilloma is a growth resulting from 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.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common microorganism.
It has been established that about half of the adult population are carriers of one strain or another or have clinical manifestations of the disease.
A person can encounter 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 HPV types have been identified.
What the papilloma looks like on the skin: treatment and prevention of papillomavirus infection
The external manifestation of the human papillomavirus is papillomas on the skin. New growths, 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 drugs;
- 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 point where it transitions from stratified to cylindrical. This makes the infected cell benign, but it can subsequently regenerate and trigger the mechanism for cancer development.
A pedicled neoplasm deserves special attention - due to its susceptibility to injury, it can infect surrounding healthy skin and cause multiple papillomatosis.
Warts don't always turn into tumors. If they are caused by viruses with low oncogenicity, then 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 default 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 rough hard growths, the size of which starts from 1 mm. They tend to cluster in arrays under a single stratum corneum. Such papillomas are formed under the knees, on the back 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 edge. Branches deviate from the main growth in the form of smaller children's warts.
- Filamentous growths resemble elongated cone-shaped rods, the length of which reaches 6 mm.
- Flat neoplasms are distinguished by a natural body color and resemblance to flattened cones. When they are present, people occasionally complain of itching - redness of the focus.
- Genital warts are new growths that appear on the genitals of both men and women. They attack 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 doctor gives him a referral for PCR diagnostics of the DNA of the virus. Based on his answers, the doctor can determine the type of strain, the degree of its oncogenicity and quantity. Also, PCR allows you to understand whether papillomatosis is chronic or whether it appeared suddenly against the background of a sharp decrease in immunity.
A microdissection of skin papillomas is represented by connective tissue stroma 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. Often it turns out to be edematous, inflamed and filled with blood vessels. Fibropapilloma is diagnosed with growth sclerosis.
The layer of epithelium covering the wart shows an increase in the number and size of pathological cells. This indicates 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. With senile keratosis, formations with polymorphism of epithelial cells are determined. In ICD 10, the skin 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 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 by one of the following methods:
- cryo destruction;
- radio wave therapy;
- electrocoagulation;
- laser vaporization;
- chemical destruction.
Warts with signs of degeneration undergo surgical excision, taking healthy tissue. After the external signs of a papillomavirus carrier 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, released in the form of a spray, is a topical preparation. Its use has 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 is sex education for young people with an explanation of the features of transmission of the virus and methods of protection. Particular attention is paid to a healthy lifestyle, the development of stress resistance and the timely treatment of infectious diseases.