Why do papillomas occur and how to treat them?

Papillomas are benign papillary formations on the surface of the skin and mucous membranes.The cause is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which infects most of the world's population.Growths can appear anywhere on the body, including intimate places and internal organs.

What causes papillomas?

The disease is transmitted sexually in 50% of cases, but may not manifest itself for a long time.Clinical symptoms are observed when the body's immune defenses are weakened, which is caused by colds, inflammation and concomitant chronic ailments of internal organs.

Papillomas on the body appear most frequently in adolescence, which coincides with the beginning of sexual activity.In young people, the cause may be the frequent change of sexual partner, anal sex.In intimate areas, growths usually form 1 to 2 months after unprotected sexual intercourse.

Papillomas are seen much more frequently in women than in men.Benign formations may appear in the anogenital zone and on the mucous membranes of the vagina and cervix.This often causes cancer of the reproductive organs.Due to weak immunity, young children are susceptible to HPV infection;The virus is transmitted from infected parents through close household contact.

Often, overweight patients ask the dermatologist: why do papillomas appear on the body?In people with excess body weight, signs of the disease are diagnosed especially frequently.The reason is a metabolic disorder in the body.The growths are mainly located in the skin folds of the armpits, groin, under the mammary glands, neck, eyelids and face.

Why do papillomas appear on the body, where do they come from?

After entering the bloodstream, the papillomavirus begins to actively multiply and affects the upper layers of the skin.If the immune system is strong enough, external manifestations of infection may not be observed for a long time.But when favorable conditions are created, pathological proliferation of epithelial cells occurs.

The incubation period does not exceed 3 months, but in some cases the latent course of the disease lasts up to 2 years.The causes that provoke the appearance of papillomas on the body are influenza, poisoning, severe stress, acute inflammatory disease, pregnancy and adolescence.

The main routes of HPV infection:

• From a sick mother to a child during its passage through the birth canal.This happens if a woman has papillomas in her intimate places.The pathogen can also be passed to the baby through breast milk.
• The disease is transmitted sexually from an infected partner to a healthy one.Using a condom will reduce the risk.But if the growths are located in the perineum or anus, contraception is ineffective.
• The domestic route of infection occurs through the exchange of towels and hygiene items.Thus, the virus enters the child's body.
• Autoinfection occurs when a benign formation is damaged by a razor or tight clothing.The growths appear elsewhere in greater numbers.

Types and external signs of papillomas.

There are more than one hundred varieties of viral manifestations, depending on the type of pathogen:

1. genital wartsThey occur on the external genitalia, anus, and perineum in men and women.They have a peculiar shape, reminiscent of a rooster's comb or cauliflower.The formations are multiple and cause itching and discomfort.In rare cases, anogenital condylomas are localized on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, tongue and lips.
2. simple wartsThey are round in shape and most frequently affect the extremities.Usually many papillomas appear, the rashes continue for 6 to 8 months, and then they may disappear on their own without any treatment.
3. Flat or juvenile wartsThey occur in adolescents during puberty against the background of hormonal changes in the body.Typically, these papillomas are located on the face, neck, fingers and toes on the back.The growths are flat, light pink or beige, painless.
4. Filiform warts or acrochords- They are elongated formations of light pink or brownish color.Most often they appear in women under the mammary glands, on the neck, eyelids, face, groin and armpits.
5. Plantar wartsLocated on the soles of the feet and inside the hands.The growths cause itching and discomfort when walking.This papilloma looks like a round formation, similar to a callus.In the center there are black dots, along the edges there is a roll of keratinized skin.
6. Oncogenic papillomaviruseshumans provoke the development of cancer of the larynx and genital organs in women.

Treatment of papillomas on the face and body.

In most cases, skin tags do not cause discomfort and do not require treatment.Exceptions include formations that are constantly injured and are cosmetic defects.

It is impossible to completely cure the HPV virus, but maintenance therapy can help prevent skin growths from appearing.It is useful for an infected person to follow a proper diet, exercise, perform health procedures, and give up bad habits.

To begin with, it is best to treat papillomavirus with topical medications.

If no positive changes are seen after taking the medications, the growths are removed surgically.But without preliminary restorative therapy, such a procedure is ineffective, since relapses may occur.First of all, it is necessary to carry out treatment to increase the body's immune defenses.The patient takes immunomodulators, a vitamin complex, antiviral and cytotoxic drugs.If there are concomitant diseases, the source of inflammation must be treated.

Surgical method of treatment.

It is necessary to treat the pathology surgically if the diameter of the papilloma exceeds 1 cm, if a cancerous tumor is suspected.The doctor removes the growth along with a small amount of surrounding tissue.Cosmetic stitches are then applied.

Alternative methods of treating papillomas on the face and body are:

• cryodestruction– this is the effect of low temperatures (-196°) on the neoplasia.The procedure is painless and does not require the administration of anesthetics.After treatment with liquid nitrogen, the growth turns white and then a blister forms in its place.Little by little, the pathological cells die.This method helps treat papillomas on the neck, eyelids, intimate areas and other sensitive skin areas.
• Electrocoagulation– this is the effect of high frequency currents on the affected area.A special ring is placed on the narrow stem or base of the growth, which cauterizes the tissue.After this, the papilloma is easily removed.No bleeding occurs.
• laser removalIt is the least traumatic treatment method.The affected area is exposed to a beam of carbon dioxide, the liquid evaporates, the tissues become dehydrated, dry and turn into a dark scab, which falls off after a week.When removing papillomas on the eyelids and face, it is necessary to avoid contact with ultraviolet rays on the skin, otherwise pigmentation may appear.
• radiosurgical treatmentperformed using a special apparatus.The therapy method is similar to laser cautery, only in this case a radium scalpel is used.After extraction there are no scars.
• Chemical destruction methodIt is carried out by applying organic acids to the surface of the papilloma, which destroy the structure of pathological cells.

If the pain threshold is low or the growth is large, local anesthesia is used.After the operation, the patient must follow the doctor's recommendations and carry out disinfection.The removed papilloma is sent for histological examination to exclude the presence of cancer cells.

Relapses after surgical treatment occur if the affected area is not completely treated.In this case, growth appears again.

Removal of genital warts.

Before the procedure, a person must undergo a biochemical blood test for the presence of antibodies to the HPV virus, smears for urogenital infections, and a tissue biopsy.Based on the research results, the doctor selects the optimal treatment option.

Anogenital condylomas are removed using the same methods as papillomas on the neck and face.These are cryodestruction, laser radiation, electrocoagulation, radio wave therapy and chemical destruction.

All patients are recommended to treat papillomas in the intimate area, as they can transmit the virus to their partner.And growths in the vagina and cervix in women require urgent removal because they can cause cancer.

Human HPV Prevention

The only way to prevent papillomavirus is vaccination.In some countries this measure is included in the list of mandatory vaccines, in others the procedure is carried out at the patient's request.

Vaccine injections are administered in 3 stages, with an interval of 1 month and six months after the first injection.Scientific studies have confirmed the effectiveness of this method, which eliminates the causes of benign formations on the skin.

Additional preventive measures include protected sexual relations, careful selection of a sexual partner, strengthening the immune system, improving the health of the body, using personal hygiene items and timely treatment of infectious diseases.

A dermatologist can answer the question of why papillomas grow and how they should be treated.The doctor will conduct an examination, prescribe laboratory tests and select the necessary treatment regimen.