Human papillomavirus (HPV) affects epithelial cells and has a particle diameter of 55 nm. A special feature is the proliferation of skin epithelium, as well as mucous membranes. At the initial stage, the pathogen usually affects the basal cells of the epithelium and penetrates them through microtrauma. Localized papillomas are usually found in the neck, armpit, groin and genitals (mostly), oral mucosa and nasopharynx.
This virus can persist for many years without showing symptoms. Electron microscopic or molecular hybridization methods are used to detect HPV.
Types of human papillomavirus
Humans have HPV, which affects mucous membranes and skin. Among the large number of papillomaviruses, species with low and high oncogenic risk are distinguished. It has been proven that oncogenic properties are associated with the ability to integrate DNA into the genome of human cells.
The virus is activated in 10-20% of cases. Depending on its type, it can cause benign or malignant lesions. Some HPVs are not oncogenic. They cause the appearance of warts and genital warts. The most common are HPV 6 and 11.
HPV oncogenes are those with a high risk of developing cancerous lesions, especially in the cervix or anus. On the skin, HPV types 16 and 18, and 5 and 8, which can cause skin cancer, are more common. The most well-known type of cancer caused by HPV is cervical cancer. However, men can also be infected with papillomavirus, which in the worst case causes cancer of the penis or anus.
Often women encounter HPV 16 - this is a form in which introsomal parasitism is observed, i. e. outside the cell chromosome (benign). HPV 18 has a high risk of developing cancer - benign tumors are formed first, and after a while they turn into cancer. In this case, the size of the virions is very small (up to 30 nm).
- cervical neoplasms;
- invasive or pre-invasive oncology;
- genital warts of the urinary tract and genitals.
Features of the infection
Human papillomavirus is highly contagious. Transmission usually occurs through direct contact with an infected person, skin-to-skin or mucosa-to-mucosa. In genital infection, this condition mostly occurs during vaginal or oral sexual intercourse. Having multiple sexual partners or other STIs (sexually transmitted infections) increases the risk. Indirect transmission through objects, contaminated clothing or bedding is also possible but extremely rare.
In 7% of cases, transmission of the virus from mother to child may occur during birth, when the infection is active. The risk increases to 40% if infected with HPV 16 or 18.
Papillomavirus infection penetrates the epithelium, violating its integrity, promoting the growth of the lower layer of epithelial cells in the form of condylomas or warts. This form of the disease is contagious and spreads quickly to others. As a rule, warts and condylomas do not cause metastasis and often disappear on their own.
HPV symptoms
The incubation period lasts up to 9 months (average 3 months). HPV can be present in the body without obvious symptoms. The virus can go undetected for months or even years. Even at this stage it is contagious.
Skin warts often appear in groups and increase in number when scratched. The two most common forms of papillomas are grayish, raised with a hard, cracked surface (common wart) or flat and reddish (flat wart). Prickly warts occur on the soles of the feet or on the heels, grow inward, and are therefore often painful.
- Genital warts. Pale or reddish nodules that often occur in groups and appear on the labia, vagina, penis, urethra, anal canal, and rectum. They are highly contagious.
- Flat condylomas. They appear as flat nodes and are found mainly on the female genitals. They increase the risk of getting cancer.
- Giant condylomas (Buschke-Levenshtein tumors). They destroy the surrounding tissues and turn into huge formations. In rare cases, they can degenerate and lead to squamous cell carcinoma.
Infection of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract is also possible. The conjunctiva of the eyes may be affected, causing pink stemmed growths.
It is more difficult to detect an asymptomatic course, which the doctor can only see with the help of acetic acid (which causes the color of the warts to change) or auxiliary tools such as a microscope.
In addition, the virus can settle in cells without any tissue changes. Then they talk about a latent infection, that is, the presence of pathogens, but without symptoms. Once infected, this stage can last from several weeks to several months.
Possible consequences
When infected, viruses penetrate the cells of the integral tissue of the skin and mucous membrane, settle in the nuclei of cellular structures and multiply there. Typically, such HPV infections go unnoticed and heal on their own without consequences, as the immune system successfully fights the pathogen.
However, some types of HPV cause skin changes called growths. Possible forms include genital warts or condylomas and papillomas, which can affect, for example, the face, arms or legs.
The resulting tissue changes are mostly benign, but can also degenerate and lead to cancer. For example, cancer can occur decades after HPV infection. Cancer of the female external genitalia (cancer of the vulva and vagina), anal cancer, cancer of the penis, and cancer of the mouth and throat (tumors of the head and neck) are also possible.
make a diagnosis
As part of preventive visits to the gynecologist, women are tested for HPV infection. During the gynecological examination, a smear is taken from the cervical membrane, this is called Papanicolaou test (cytological examination). The resulting material is examined for tissue changes to identify precancerous conditions.
Additionally, an HPV test may be performed, in which cellular material from a mucosal swab or tissue sample is tested in a laboratory for the presence of certain viruses. However, this only proves that the affected area is infected, but does not provide any explanation as to whether tissue changes have occurred. Therefore, HPV testing is especially meaningful when combined with the Pap test and can help detect cancer precursors at an early stage.
If the test is positive, there is no cause for concern because infections do not always lead to cancer. Regular examination is recommended to detect tissue changes at an early stage. Conversely, a negative test result does not indicate whether there was a past infection that the body successfully fought off.
There is no preventive examination for men where the test will be done regularly. If there is underlying cancer, testing the tumor can determine whether HPV infection underlies the cancer.
Special DNA methods are also used in laboratory diagnostics, such as real-time PCR. Anogenital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11 are easily detected during gynecological examination.
How to treat human papillomavirus
In most cases, the disease does not require treatment, as it disappears on its own and subsequently the viruses are no longer detected. However, if this is not the case, the infection may last longer and persist for months or years.
To date, there are no methods of systemic action on this virus that can completely destroy it. However, treating existing warts reduces the number of viruses, so in most cases the immune system can fight any remaining viruses and thus get rid of them. In some cases, pathogens survive and can cause symptoms of the disease repeatedly.
- Plantar and genital warts can be treated with medications formulated with salicylic acid for topical application.
- Cryotherapy is also a frequently used method for HPV. In this case, the wart is burned with cold using liquid nitrogen.
- Lasers or electrocautery are also methods used in the same way.
Cancer caused by HPV is much more difficult to treat. For cervical cancer, it is usually recommended to remove the uterus, the upper part of the vagina, and the ovaries, respectively. This may be supported by radiation therapy to eliminate the possibility of recurrence. Other cancers caused by HPV are most often treated with targeted therapies such as radiation or chemotherapy.
It should be noted that the operation is not a radical solution, it only solves a cosmetic problem, since after removal the virus may remain in the surrounding tissues and condylomas may appear again.
Preventing infection
There are two vaccines: double vaccine against HPV 16 and 18 and quadruple vaccine against HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18. Vaccination is recommended for all young girls aged 14 and over.
Vaccination does not protect against all types of HPV. For this reason, it is recommended that all women between the ages of 25 and 65 have regular smear examinations, even if they are vaccinated.
Timely detection and complete removal of condylomas reduces the risk of disease. The effectiveness of using condoms to protect against transmission of infection can significantly reduce the risk of contracting this disease. The most promising way to prevent and treat the initial stages of the disease caused by this infection is a specific polyvalent vaccine.
Why do plantar warts appear and treatment methods
Warts are skin lesions that appear in the form of special rounded formations protruding above the surface. They occur due to certain viruses.
These formations often cause physical discomfort due to their location. They tend to recur even after treatment.
Types and causes
There are many types of warts; they are classified according to a number of characteristics:
- Simple. They occur on exposed parts of the body, arms, legs, face and scalp. They are generally not dangerous, but they are not aesthetically pleasing and can multiply rapidly and affect large areas of skin. It's like they're arranged into "families".
- Plantar. Their localization is only on the feet. It causes discomfort while walking.
The main cause is human papillomavirus infection, which affects the mucous membranes and skin.
human papillomavirus
This is one of the most common viruses in the world. Infection can occur in various ways:
- contact and home (through touch);
- sexual (genital, anal, oral-genital);
- from mother to child at birth.
The period of development of the disease varies from several weeks to decades, this is explained by the fact that the virus may not manifest itself for a long time, but when the immunity is slightly weakened, growths immediately appear on the body. skin and/or mucous membranes. The main danger of this disease is that certain types of HPV have a high probability of causing the formation of a malignant tumor (skin or mucosa cancer). To make sure that the disease will not lead to the formation of tumors, it is necessary not to self-medicate, but to undergo a medical examination.
Symptoms and types of foot warts
Plantar warts appear as a callus-like thickening with the stratum corneum skin layer. It prevents walking and causes pain. The passive state is characterized by slow reproduction that does not reach the stratum corneum of the epithelium, therefore this condition does not manifest itself externally.
The active state is characterized by the rapid development of the virus and its rise to the upper layers of the epidermis, manifesting itself with a large number of symptoms. Plantar wart is also called spiny wart, chicken wart. The virus enters through cuts and abrasions in the outer layer of skin during skin contact:
- First, a small yellowish-gray papule with a rough surface appears.
- Gradually the small element becomes denser and acquires a dirty color.
When viewed from the inside, the plantar wart looks like fused papillae of different sizes with a pinkish tint. Additional capillaries form there, causing bleeding if you get a wart.
Removing plantar warts
It is worth treating plantar warts in the following cases:
- There are painful sensations.
- The wart is bleeding.
- There were stains on it.
- The wart grows rapidly.
There are many treatment methods. One of them is cryodestruction. The meaning of the method is to expose the wart to liquid nitrogen at a temperature of minus 196 degrees. The area affected by the virus is frozen and the wart is removed.
The usual and aggressive method of exposure is used. With the aggressive method, nitrogen is applied for a few seconds longer, but this method is more painful. It is important to remember that if a wart appears and is present for more than six months, the effectiveness of cryodestruction is greatly reduced and, accordingly, the point of such an operation disappears.
After removing a plantar wart using liquid nitrogen, you should follow some recommendations:
- the blister remaining in the wart area cannot be opened;
- use a sterile bandage instead of a plaster cast to prevent mechanical damage;
- Apply 2% salicylic alcohol to the affected area twice daily;
- Try to prevent water from entering the affected area.
Another method is laser coagulation. This is one of the most common methods for removing warts. Most laser systems are equipped with a special cooling system. Thus, the procedure takes place with minimal discomfort and does not allow inflammation, since the laser has antiseptic properties. Moreover, this is a contactless method.
There are several ways:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. In this case, treatment occurs using infrared light. The method is 70% effective, but its disadvantage is that it can also damage healthy tissue.
- Erbium laser. This treatment method uses a shorter wavelength, which reduces the likelihood of scarring after surgery. Efficiency is usually 75%.
- Pulsed dye laser. With this method of exposure, primary destruction of the dilated capillaries in the wart and stimulation of the immune system, which contributes to effective healing. The effectiveness of the treatment is approximately 95%.
After laser treatment, a crust forms on the affected area, which disappears on its own within seven to ten days. Recommendations for this method of purification are the same as after exposure to nitrogen - avoid mechanical damage and water ingress.
The next way to remove warts is electrocoagulation. In this case, a high-frequency current is applied to the wart. The treatment is performed under local anesthesia. Exposure of the wart to high temperatures leads to evaporation of the cells affected by the papillomavirus. Another advantage of this method is that cauterizing the vessels prevents bleeding. After surgery, a crust forms on the affected area of skin, which disappears within 7 to 10 days.
Plantar warts can be treated directly with surgery. In this case, excision is performed under local anesthesia, followed by stitches. After the surgery, the doctor will make certain recommendations. For this reason, it is recommended to prevent water and soap from entering the affected area within the first 7-10 days, not to tear the crust and apply antiseptic to the affected area.
For each type of operation there are certain contraindications. Therefore, it will not be possible to execute the transaction if the following situations occur:
- pregnancy;
- diabetes;
- malignant tumors in the body;
- infection and inflammation around the wart;
- exacerbation of herpes;
- elevated temperature.
The procedure also needs to be postponed if your blood pressure is high.
Treatment of warts without surgery
People often wonder how to remove a plantar wart without surgery. To do this, you can use pharmaceutical ointments and solutions.
Basically these ointments have the following effects:
- anti-inflammatory;
- antiseptic;
- immunomodulator;
- antiviral;
- antifungal.
In addition, vitamins may contain vitamin E, which has a positive effect on treatment as it strengthens the body in general and reduces the risk of relapse.
It is important to use these products for single and shallow plantar warts. Additionally, if any side effects occur, it is necessary to wash off the medicine with plenty of warm water and seek help from a doctor immediately.
So it is possible to treat warts, there are many ways to do this, but in order not to harm your health, you should not do this without consulting a doctor first. In addition, self-medication is strictly prohibited if the attending physician determines contraindications.
Treatment of papillomas on the body
Hardware methods
Modern hardware methods of treating papillomas make it possible to get rid of them and prevent recurrence of the disease. The most commonly used methods are:
- Cryodestruction is the destruction of growths by exposing them to low temperatures.
- Electrocoagulation is the cauterization of formations with an electric current, the power and frequency of which are selected depending on the size, type and density of the papilloma.
- Laser removal. The type of effect is clearly evident from the name. The procedure takes no more than 15 minutes and helps get rid of unpleasant growths forever.
Medication
The drugs used include celandine, castor oil, lapis pencil, Sani Skin and Dermavit preparations.
They show variable effectiveness and do not prevent disease relapse. The main disadvantage of drug therapy for papillomas is that allergic reactions often develop.
Prevention of papillomas
To prevent the appearance of growths and avoid human papillomavirus infection, you should:
- Use barrier contraception during sexual intercourse.
- Follow personal hygiene rules and use only personal towels, soap and toothbrushes.
- Do not forget to wear rubber shoes when going to the baths.
You should also normalize your daily routine, eat a balanced diet, give up bad habits and avoid stressful situations. These factors are not the cause of the disease, but can trigger its development if the virus is already present in the body.