Human papillomavirus (HPV) affects epithelial cells and has a particle diameter of 55 nm. A special feature is the proliferation of the skin's epithelium and mucous membranes. In the initial phase, 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. To detect HPV, electron microscopic or molecular hybridization methods are used.
Types of human papillomavirus
In humans, there is 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 lead to benign or malignant lesions. 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 that have a high risk of developing cancerous lesions, especially on the cervix or anus. As for 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 type of cancer caused by HPV is cervical cancer. But 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 - first benign tumors are formed, which after some time degenerate into cancer. Virions in this case have small sizes (up to 30 nm).
- neoplasms of the cervix;
- invasive or pre-invasive oncology;
- genital warts in the urinary tract and genitals.
Features of infection
The human papillomavirus is highly contagious. It is usually transmitted through direct contact, skin to skin or mucosa to mucosa, with an infected person. For a genital infection, this most often occurs during vaginal or oral intercourse. 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 is quite rare.
In 7% of cases, transmission of the virus from mother to child can occur during childbirth, when the infection is active. The risk increases to 40% if you are infected with HPV 16 or 18.
Penetrating the epithelium, violating its integrity, 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. As a rule, warts and condylomas do not cause metastases and often disappear spontaneously.
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 remain undetected for months or years. Even at this stage it is contagious.
Warts usually appear in groups and increase in number when scratched. The two most common types of papillomas are either greyish, hard, raised with a broken surface (common wart) or flat and reddish (flat wart). Spinal warts occur on the soles of the feet or heels, grow inwards and are therefore often painful.
- Genital warts. Pale or reddish nodules that often appear in groups and occur on the labia, vagina, penis, urethra, anal canal and rectum. They are highly contagious.
- Flat warts. They appear in the form of flat nodules and are mainly found on the female genitalia. They increase the risk of developing cancer.
- Giant condylomas (Buschke-Levenshtein tumors). They grow into huge formations and destroy surrounding tissue. 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 eye may be affected, resulting in pink stalked growths.
It is more difficult to detect an asymptomatic course, which the doctor can only see with the help of aids such as acetic acid (causes discoloration of warts) or a microscope.
In addition, the virus can also take up residence in cells without tissue changes. Then they talk about a latent infection, that is, the presence of pathogens, but without symptoms. Once infected, this phase can last from several weeks to several months.
Possible consequences
Once infected, viruses penetrate the cells of the integumentary tissue of the skin and mucous membrane, settle in the nuclei of the cell 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.
But some types of HPV create skin changes called growths. Possible forms include genital warts or condylomas and papillomas, which can affect, for example, the face, arms or legs.
The tissue changes caused are mostly benign, but can also degenerate and lead to cancer. For example, cancer can occur decades after an HPV infection. Cancer of the external female 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.
Establishing a diagnosis
A test for HPV infection is carried out in women as part of a preventive visit to the gynaecologist. During a 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 to determine precancerous conditions.
In addition, an HPV test may be performed, where 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 gives no indication as to whether tissue changes have occurred. Thus, an HPV test makes sense, especially when combined with a Pap test, and can help detect precancerous lesions 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 previous infection that the body successfully fought off.
For men, there is no preventive examination where the test would be done regularly. If an underlying cancer is found, testing the tumor can determine whether HPV infection is at the root of the cancer.
Specialized 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 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 then viruses are no longer detected. However, if this is not the case, the infection may last longer and continue for months or years.
To date, there are no methods of systemic exposure to this virus that can completely destroy it. However, treating existing warts reduces the number of viruses, so that in many cases the immune system can fight the remaining viruses and thus 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 medications formulated with salicylic acid for topical application.
- Cryotherapy is also a method often used for HPV. In this case, the wart is burned with cold using liquid nitrogen.
- Lasers or electrocautery are equally used methods.
For cancer caused by HPV, treatment is much more difficult. In the case of cervical cancer, it is often advisable to remove the uterus, respectively the upper part of the vagina and the ovaries. This can be supplemented with radiotherapy to eliminate the possibility of recurrence. Other cancers caused by HPV are most often treated with targeted therapy, such as radiation or chemotherapy.
It must be remembered that the operation is not a radical solution, but only solves a cosmetic problem, since after removal the virus can remain in the surrounding tissue and condylomas can reappear.
Prevention of infection
There are two vaccinations: a bivalent vaccine against HPV 16 and 18 and a quadrivalent vaccine against HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18. Vaccination is recommended for all adolescent girls aged 14 years and older.
Vaccination does not protect against all types of HPV. Therefore, all women aged 25 to 65 years, even if vaccinated, are advised to undergo regular smear examinations.
Timely detection and complete removal of condylomas reduces the risk of disease. The effectiveness of using condoms to protect against the transmission of infection can significantly reduce the risk of developing 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 plantar warts occur and treatment methods
Warts are skin lesions that appear in the form of special round formations that protrude above the surface. They occur due to specific viruses.
These formations often cause physical discomfort due to their location. Even after treatment, they tend to recur.
Types and causes
There are many varieties 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 usually not dangerous, but they are not aesthetically pleasing and can multiply quickly, affecting large areas of the skin. They are arranged as in "families".
- Plantar. Their localization is exclusively on the feet. Causes discomfort when walking.
The main cause is infection with the human papillomavirus, which affects the mucous membranes and skin.
Human papillomavirus
This 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 birth from mother to child.
The period of development of the disease extends from several weeks to tens of years, this is explained by the fact that the virus may not manifest itself for a long time, but as soon as the immunity becomes a little weaker, growths immediately appear on the skin and/or mucous membranes. The main danger of this disease is that certain types of HPV are very likely to cause the formation of a malignant tumor (cancer of the skin or mucous membranes). To ensure that the disease will not lead to the formation of a tumor, it is necessary to undergo examination by a doctor and not self-medicate.
Symptoms and types of warts on the foot
A plantar wart appears as a callus-like thickening with a stratum corneum layer of skin. It interferes with walking and causes pain. The passive state is characterized by slow reproduction that does not reach the stratum corneum of the epithelium, so this state does not manifest itself externally.
The active state is characterized by the fact that the virus develops rapidly and, when it rises to the upper layers of the epidermis, manifests itself in numerous symptoms. The plantar wart is also called the back wart, the chicken wart. The virus penetrates during its contact with the skin through cuts and scrapes in the outermost skin layer:
- 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, a plantar wart looks like fused papillae of various sizes with a pink tint. Additional capillary vessels form there, causing bleeding if you catch a wart.
Removal of plantar warts
It is worth treating a plantar wart if:
- There are painful sensations.
- The wart is bleeding.
- There were stains on it.
- The wart rapidly increases in size.
There are many treatment methods. One of them is cryodestruction. The meaning of the method is that the wart is exposed to liquid nitrogen at a temperature of minus 196 degrees. The virus affected area is frozen and the wart is removed.
The usual and aggressive exposure method is used. With the aggressive method, 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 exists for more than six months, the effectiveness of cryodestruction is greatly reduced, and therefore the significance of such an operation also disappears.
After removing a plantar wart using liquid nitrogen, you should follow some recommendations:
- the bladder that remains at the site of the wart cannot be opened;
- to avoid mechanical damage, use a sterile bandage instead of a patch;
- Treat the affected area with salicylic alcohol 2% twice a day;
- try to prevent water from entering the affected area.
Another method is laser coagulation. This is one of the most common methods of 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, as the laser has antiseptic properties. Also, this is a non-contact method.
There are several ways:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. Treatment in this case is done using infrared light. The method is 70% effective, but the disadvantage is that healthy tissue can also be damaged.
- Erbium laser. This treatment method uses a shorter wavelength, which reduces the likelihood of scarring after surgery. Efficiency is typically 75%.
- Pulsed color laser. With this method of exposure, the primary destruction of dilated capillaries in the wart and stimulation of the immune system, which contributes to effective healing. The effectiveness of the treatment is around 95%.
After laser treatment, a crust forms on the affected area, which disappears on its own within seven to ten days. The recommendations for this treatment method are the same as after exposure to nitrogen - avoid mechanical damage and ingress of water.
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 anaesthetic. Exposing a wart to high temperatures leads to evaporation of cells affected by the papillomavirus. Another advantage of this method is that cauterization of blood vessels prevents bleeding. After the operation, a crust forms on the affected area of the skin, which disappears within 7 to 10 days.
A plantar wart can be treated with direct surgery. In this case, excision is done under local anesthesia, then sutures are applied. After the operation, the doctor will prescribe certain recommendations. It is therefore recommended to prevent water and soap from entering the affected area, not to tear off the resulting crust and to treat the affected area with an antiseptic for the first 7-10 days.
For each type of operation there are certain contraindications. It will thus be impossible to perform the operation if the following occurs:
- pregnancy;
- diabetes;
- malignant tumors in the body;
- infection and inflammation around the wart;
- exacerbation of herpes;
- elevated temperature.
If your blood pressure is high, the procedure should also be postponed.
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;
- immunomodulatory;
- antiviral;
- fungicidal.
In addition, it may contain vitamin E, which also has a positive effect on the treatment, as vitamins generally strengthen the body and reduce the risk of relapse.
So it is possible to cure warts, there are many ways to do this, but you should not do this without first consulting a doctor so as not to harm your health. In addition, it is strictly forbidden to self-medicate if the attending physician prescribes 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 the development of relapses of the disease. The most used methods are:
- Cryodestruction is the destruction of growths by exposing them to low temperatures.
- Electrocoagulation is cauterization of formations with an electric current, the strength and frequency of which is selected depending on the size, type and density of the papilloma.
- Laser removal. The type of impact is clear from the name. The procedure takes no more than 15 minutes and helps to get rid of unpleasant growths forever.
Medical treatment
Among the medicines used are celandine, castor oil, lapis pencil, Sani Skin and Dermavit preparations.
They show varying effectiveness and do not prevent relapse of the disease. The main disadvantage of drug treatment for papillomas is the frequent development of allergic reactions.
Prevention of papillomas
To avoid the appearance of growths and avoid infection with the human papillomavirus, you should:
- Use barrier contraception during intercourse.
- Observe the rules of personal hygiene and use only individual towels, soap and a toothbrush.
- When visiting public baths, do not neglect to wear rubber shoes.
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 provoke its development if the virus is already present in the body.