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 sexually transmitted in 50% of cases, but it can take a long time to manifest.Clinical symptoms are observed when the body's immune defense is weakened, which is caused by colds, inflammation and concomitant chronic diseases of internal organs.

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

Papillomas are seen much more frequently in women than in men.Benign formations can occur in the anogenital region 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 a 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 papilloma virus begins to actively multiply, affecting the upper layers of the skin.If the immune system is strong enough, external manifestations of the infection may not be seen 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 provoking causes of the appearance of papillomas on the body are flu, poisoning, severe stress, acute inflammatory disease, pregnancy and adolescence.

The main routes of HPV infection:

• From a sick mother to a child as they pass through the birth canal.This happens if a woman has papillomas in intimate places.The pathogen can also pass to the baby through breast milk.
• The disease is transmitted sexually from an infected partner to a healthy partner.Using a condom will reduce the risk.But if the growths are located in the perineum or anus, contraception is ineffective.
• The household route of infection occurs through sharing 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 a 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, causing itching and discomfort.In rare cases, anogenital condylomas are located on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, tongue and lips.
2. Simple wartsThey are round and most often affect the extremities.Usually many papillomas appear, the rashes continue for 6 to 8 months and then may disappear on their own without any treatment.
3. Flat or juvenile wartsoccur 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 in color, painless.
4. Filiform warts or acrochords- These are elongated formations of light pink or brownish color.Most often they appear in women under the mammary glands, on the neck, eyelids, face and groin, armpits.
5. Plantar wartslocated on the soles of the feet and the inside of 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, at the edges there is a roll of keratinized skin.
6. Oncogenic papillomaviruseshumans cause 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 growths from appearing on the skin.It is useful for an infected person to follow a proper diet, exercise, undergo health procedures and give up bad habits.

To begin with, it is best to treat the papilloma virus with topical medications.

If no positive changes are observed after taking medications, the growths are removed surgically.But without preliminary restorative therapy, such a procedure is ineffective, as relapses may occur.First, it is necessary to undergo treatment to increase the body's immune defense.The patient uses immunomodulators, vitamin complexes, antivirals 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.Then cosmetic stitches are applied.

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

• Cryodestruction– this is the effect on neoplasia of low temperatures (-196°).The procedure is painless and does not require the administration of anesthetics.After liquid nitrogen treatment, the growth turns white and a blister forms in its place.Gradually, pathological cells die.This method helps to treat papillomas on the neck, eyelids, intimate areas and other areas with sensitive skin.
• Electrocoagulation– this is the effect of high frequency currents on the affected area.A special ring is placed on the narrow shaft or base of the bump, which cauterizes the tissue.After that, 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 out and form a dark crust, which falls off after a week.When removing papillomas from the eyelids and face, it is necessary to avoid getting ultraviolet rays on the skin, otherwise pigmentation may occur.
• Radiosurgical treatmentcarried out using a special apparatus.The therapy method is similar to laser cauterization, only in this case a radio knife is used.After removal there are no more scars.
• Chemical destruction methodis 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 excised papilloma is sent for histological examination to exclude the presence of cancer cells.

Recurrences after surgical treatment occur if the affected area is not treated completely.In this case, growth reappears.

Genital warts removal

Before the procedure, a person must undergo a biochemical blood test to detect the presence of antibodies against the HPV virus, smears for urogenital infections and a tissue biopsy.Based on the research results, the doctor selects the best 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, chemical destruction.

It is recommended that all patients treat papillomas in the intimate area, as they can infect their partner with the virus.And growths in the vagina and cervix in women require urgent excision 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 vaccinations, in others the procedure is carried out at the patient's request.

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

Additional preventive measures include protected sexual intercourse, 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.