Human papillomavirus (HPV) affects epithelial cells, its particle diameter is 55 nm. Its specialty is the proliferation of the skin's epithelium and mucous membranes. In the initial stage, the pathogen usually affects the basal cells of the epithelium and penetrates them through microtraumas. Localized papillomas are usually found on the skin of the neck, armpits, groin and genitals (most often), oral mucosa and nasopharynx.
This virus can exist for many years without symptoms. Electron microscopy or molecular hybridization methods are used to detect HPV.
Types of human papillomavirus
Humans have HPV, which affects the mucous membranes and the skin. Among the large number of papillomaviruses, low and high oncogenic risk species are distinguished. Oncogenic properties have been shown to be 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 lead to benign or malignant changes. Some HPVs are not oncogenic. They lead to 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 on the cervix or anus. When it comes to the skin, HPV 16 and 18, as well as 5 and 8, which can lead to skin cancer, are more common. The most well-known form of cancer caused by HPV is cervical cancer. But men can also be infected with the papilloma virus, which in the worst case causes cancer of the penis or anus.
Women often encounter HPV 16 - this is a form in which introsomal parasitism is observed, that is, outside the cell chromosome (benign). HPV 18 is associated with a high risk of cancer - benign tumors are formed at first, which after a while degenerate into cancer. In this case, the virions are small in size (up to 30 nm).
- neoplasms of the cervix;
- invasive or pre-invasive oncology;
- genital warts of the urinary tract and genitals.
Characteristics of the infection
Human papillomavirus is highly contagious. It is usually spread by direct contact with an infected person, skin to skin or mucous membrane to mucous membrane. In the case of genital infections, this most often occurs during vaginal or oral sex. Having a large number of sexual partners or other STIs (sexually transmitted infections) increases the risk. Indirect transmission through objects, contaminated clothing or bedding is also possible, but quite rare.
In 7% of cases, the virus can be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth, when the infection is active. The risk increases to 40% if HPV 16 or 18 is infected.
By penetrating the epithelium and violating its integrity, the papillomavirus infection promotes 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. Warts and condylomas usually do not metastasize and often disappear spontaneously.
HPV symptoms
The incubation period lasts up to 9 months (3 months on average). HPV can be present in the body without any obvious symptoms. The virus can go undetected for months or years. Even at this stage it is contagious.
Skin warts usually occur in groups and increase in number when scratched. The two most common forms of papillomas are grayish, hard, with a broken surface (common wart) or flat and reddish (flat wart). Spiny warts occur on the sole or heel, grow inward, and are therefore often painful.
- Genital warts. Pale or reddish lumps that often appear in groups and occur on the labia, vagina, penis, urethra, anal canal, and rectum. They are highly contagious.
- Flat condylomas. They appear as flat nodules and are mainly found on the female genitals. They increase the risk of developing cancer.
- Giant condylomas (Buschke-Levenshtein tumors). They grow into huge formations, destroying the surrounding tissues. In rare cases, they can degenerate and lead to squamous cell carcinoma.
Infection of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract is also possible. The conjunctiva of the eye may be affected, resulting in pink, stringy growths.
It is more difficult to detect the asymptomatic course, which the doctor can only see with the help of aids such as acetic acid (which causes the warts to become discolored) or a microscope.
In addition, the virus can settle in the cells even without tissue changes. Then they talk about a latent infection, that is, the presence of pathogens, but without symptoms. After infection, this phase can last from several weeks to several months.
Possible consequences
During infection, the viruses penetrate the cells of the integument tissue of the skin and mucous membrane, settle in the nuclei of the cell structures, and multiply there. Such HPV infections typically go unnoticed and heal without consequences, as the immune system successfully fights the pathogen.
However, certain types of HPV cause skin lesions called growths. Possible forms are 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 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, penile cancer, and cancer of the mouth and throat (tumors of the head and neck) are possible.
Making a diagnosis
Women are tested for HPV infection as part of a preventive visit to a gynecologist. During the gynecological examination, a smear is taken from the mucous membrane of the cervix, this is called a Papanicolaou test (cytological examination). The resulting material is examined for tissue changes in order to determine precancerous conditions.
In addition, an HPV test can be performed, during which cell material taken from a mucous membrane swab or tissue sample is examined in a laboratory for the presence of certain viruses. However, this only proves that the affected area is infected, but does not state whether tissue changes have occurred. Thus, an HPV test makes sense, especially in combination with a Pap test, and can help detect cancer precursors at an early stage.
If the test is positive, there is no need to worry, as 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.
In the case of men, there is no preventive examination in which the examination is carried out regularly. If there is an underlying cancer, testing the tumor can determine whether HPV infection is behind 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 can be easily detected during a gynecological examination.
How to cure human papillomavirus
In most cases, the disease does not require treatment, because it goes away on its own and 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 is no method of systemic action on this virus that can completely destroy it. However, treating existing warts reduces the number of viruses, so in many cases the immune system is able to fight off the remaining viruses and get rid of them. In some cases, the pathogens survive and can cause symptoms of the disease again and again.
- Plantar and genital warts can be treated with topical medications formulated with salicylic acid.
- Cryotherapy is also a frequently used method for the treatment of HPV. In this case, the wart is burned cold using liquid nitrogen.
- Both laser and electrocautery are used.
Cancer caused by HPV is much more difficult to treat. In the case of cervical cancer, it is often advisable to remove the uterus, the upper part of the vagina, or the ovaries. This can be supplemented with radiation therapy to eliminate the possibility of relapse. Other cancers caused by HPV are most often treated with targeted therapy, such as radiation or chemotherapy.
It should be remembered that surgery is not a radical solution, but only solves a cosmetic problem, since after removal the virus can remain in the surrounding tissues and condylomas can reappear.
Prevention of infection
There are two types of vaccine: a bivalent vaccine against HPV 16 and 18 and a quadrivalent vaccine against HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18. The vaccine is recommended for all girls aged 14 and over.
The vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV. Therefore, all women between the ages of 25 and 65, even if they have been vaccinated, should undergo regular smear tests.
Timely recognition and complete removal of condylomas reduces the risk of disease. The effectiveness of condom use against the transmission of infections can significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease. The most promising way to prevent and treat the initial stage of the disease caused by the infection is a special polyvalent vaccine.
Why plantar warts appear and treatment methods
Warts are skin lesions that appear in the form of special round formations that rise above the surface. They are caused by special viruses.
These formations often cause physical discomfort due to their location. They tend to recur even after treatment.
Its types and causes
There are many types of warts, and they are classified according to several characteristics:
- Simple. They occur on exposed parts of the body, arms, legs, face and scalp. They are usually not dangerous, but they are unsightly and can multiply quickly, affecting a large area of skin. They are arranged as if they were in "families".
- Plantar. Their localization is exclusively on the feet. It causes discomfort while walking.
The main cause is infection with the human papillomavirus, which affects the mucous membranes and skin.
Human papillomavirus
It is one of the most common viruses on Earth. Infection can occur in several ways:
- contact and housekeeping (through touch);
- sexual (genital, anal, oral-genital);
- in childbirth from mother to child.
The period of development of the disease ranges from several weeks to tens of years, this can be explained by the fact that the virus cannot manifest itself for a long time, but as soon as the immunity weakens a little, growths immediately appear on the skin and/or mucous membrane. The main danger of this disease is that certain HPV types are highly likely to cause the development of malignant tumors (skin or mucous membrane cancer). In order to make sure that the disease does not lead to the development of a tumor, you should undergo a medical examination and do not self-medicate.
Symptoms and types of warts on the legs
A plantar wart appears as a callus-like thickening with a stratum corneum skin layer. It interferes with walking and causes pain. The passive state is characterized by slow reproduction, it does not reach the stratum corneum of the epithelium, so this state does not appear externally.
The active state is characterized by the fact that the virus develops rapidly and, rising to the upper layers of the epidermis, manifests itself in a number of symptoms. Plantar warts are also called spiky warts and chicken warts. During skin contact, the virus enters through cuts and abrasions in the outer layer of the skin:
- First, a small yellowish-gray papule with an uneven surface appears.
- Gradually, the small element becomes dense and acquires a dirty color.
From the inside, plantar warts look like fused papillae of different sizes, pinkish in color. More capillaries form there, which cause bleeding if you catch a wart.
Removal of plantar warts
It is worth treating plantar warts if:
- There are painful feelings.
- The wart is bleeding.
- It had stains on it.
- The size of the wart increases rapidly.
There are many treatment methods. One is cryodestruction. The essence of the method is that the wart is exposed to liquid nitrogen at a temperature of minus 196 degrees. The area affected by the virus is frozen and the wart is removed.
The standard and aggressive exposure method is used. In the aggressive method, the nitrogen is applied for a few seconds longer, but this method is more painful. It is important to note that if a wart appears and persists for more than six months, the effectiveness of cryodestruction is significantly reduced and, accordingly, the meaning of such an operation disappears.
After removing a plantar wart with liquid nitrogen, follow some recommendations:
- the blister left at the site of the wart cannot be opened;
- to avoid mechanical damage, use a sterile bandage instead of plaster;
- Treat the affected area with 2% salicylic alcohol twice a day;
- try to prevent water from entering the affected area.
Another method is laser coagulation. This is one of the most common ways to remove 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, it is a non-contact method.
There are several ways:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. In this case, the treatment is done with infrared light. The method is 70% effective, but the disadvantage is that healthy tissues can also be damaged.
- Erbium laser. This treatment method uses shorter wavelengths, which reduces the likelihood of scarring after surgery. The efficiency is usually 75%.
- Pulsed dye laser. With this method of exposure, the dilated capillaries in the wart are primarily destroyed and the immune system is stimulated, which contributes to effective healing. The effectiveness of the treatment is about 95%.
After the laser treatment, a crust forms in the affected area, which disappears by itself within seven to ten days. The recommendations for this treatment method 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 temperature leads to evaporation of the cells affected by the papillomavirus. Another advantage of the method is that the cauterization of the blood vessels prevents bleeding. After the operation, a crust forms on the affected area of the skin, which disappears within 7-10 days.
Plantar warts can be treated with direct surgery. In this case, the excision is performed under local anesthesia, and then sutures are applied. After the operation, the doctor prescribes certain recommendations. We therefore recommend that you do not get water and soap on the affected area, do not tear off the resulting crust, and treat the affected area with an antiseptic for the first 7-10 days.
There are certain contraindications for each type of operation. Thus, the operation cannot be performed if the following occurs:
- pregnancy;
- diabetes;
- malignant tumors in the body;
- infection and inflammation around the wart;
- exacerbation of herpes;
- elevated temperature.
If you have high blood pressure, the procedure should also be postponed.
Treatment of warts without surgery
People often wonder how to remove plantar warts without surgery. For this, you can use pharmaceutical ointments and solutions.
Basically, these ointments have the following effects:
- anti-inflammatory;
- disinfectant;
- immunomodulatory;
- antiviral;
- antifungal.
It may also contain vitamin E, which also has a positive effect on treatment, as vitamins generally strengthen the body and reduce the risk of relapse.
It is important that these products are used to treat single and shallow plantar warts. In addition, if any side effects occur, the medicine should be washed down with plenty of warm water and a doctor should be consulted immediately.
So, it is possible to cure warts, there are many ways to do it, but you should not do it without first consulting your doctor so as not to harm your health. In addition, self-medication is strictly prohibited if the attending physician prescribes contraindications.
Treatment of papillomas on the body
Hardware methods
Modern hardware methods for the treatment of papillomas allow you to get rid of them and prevent the relapse 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 electric current, the strength and frequency of which are selected depending on the size, type and density of the papilloma.
- Laser removal. The type of effect is clear from the name. The procedure takes no more than 15 minutes and helps to get rid of unpleasant growths forever.
Drug treatment
Medicines used include celandine, castor oil, lapis pencil, Sani Skin and Dermavit preparations.
They show different effectiveness and do not prevent the relapse of the disease. The main disadvantage of drug treatment of papillomas is the frequent development of allergic reactions.
Prevention of papillomas
To avoid the appearance of growths and human papillomavirus infection:
- Use barrier-free contraception during sexual intercourse.
- Follow the rules of personal hygiene and use only individual towels, soap and toothbrushes.
- If you visit public baths, don't forget to wear rubber shoes.
You have to normalize your daily routine, eat a balanced diet, give up bad habits and avoid stressful situations. These factors do not cause the disease, but they can trigger it if the virus is already present in the body.