Genital wart
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Genital warts (or condyloma) is a very contagious sexually transmitted disease. Caused by some variants of the Human papillomavirus, typically HPV 6 and HPV 11, it is spread during oral, genital, or anal sex with an infected partner. About two-thirds of people who have sexual contact with a partner with genital warts will develop warts, usually within three months of contact.
In women, the warts occur on the outside and inside of the vagina, on the opening (cervix) to the womb (uterus), or around the anus. While genital warts are approximately as prevalent in men, the symptoms of the disease may be less obvious. When present, they usually are seen on the tip of the penis. They also may be found on the shaft of the penis, on the scrotum, or around the anus. Rarely, genital warts also can develop in the mouth or throat of a person who has had oral sex with an infected person.
Genital warts often occur in clusters and can be very tiny or can spread into large masses in the genital or anal area.
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Diagnosis
A doctor or other health care worker usually can diagnose genital warts by seeing them on a patient. The doctor may be able to identify some otherwise invisible warts in the genital tissue by applying vinegar (acetic acid) to areas of suspected infection. This solution causes infected areas to whiten, which makes them more visible, particularly if a procedure called colposcopy is performed. During colposcopy, the doctor uses a magnifying instrument to look at the vagina and cervix. In some cases, the doctor takes a small piece of tissue from the cervix and examines it under the microscope.
Women with genital warts may also be examined for possible HPV infection of the cervix. There is evidence that infection by the HPV virus is a cause of cervical cancer, but the types of HPV that cause visible genital warts (types 6 and 11) are distinct from those that tend to cause cervical cancer (types 16, 18 and 31).[1] (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/files/portal/medicalinfo/sti/fact-HPV-virus.xml) A regular pap smear is recommended for all women from the time of first sexual contact due to possible exposure to HPV.
Treatment
Genital warts often disappear even without treatment. In other cases, they eventually may develop a fleshy, small raised growth that looks like cauliflower. There is no way to predict whether the warts will grow or disappear. Therefore, if you suspect you have genital warts, you should be examined and treated, if necessary.
Depending on factors such as the size and location of the genital warts, a doctor will offer you one of several ways to treat them.
- Imiquimod, an immune response cream which you can apply to the affected area
- A 20 percent podophyllin anti-mitotic solution, which you can apply to the affected area and later wash off
- A 0.5 percent podofilox solution, applied to the affected area but shouldn’t be washed off
- A 5 percent 5-fluorouracil cream
- Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)
If you are pregnant, you should not use podophyllin or podofilox because they are absorbed by the skin and may cause birth defects in your baby. In addition, you should not use 5-fluorouracil cream if you are expecting.
If you have small warts, the doctor can remove them by freezing (cryosurgery), burning (electrocautery), or laser treatment. Occasionally, the doctor will have to use surgery to remove large warts that have not responded to other treatment.
Some doctors use the antiviral drug alpha interferon, which they inject directly into the warts, to treat warts that have returned after removal by traditional means. The drug is expensive, however, and does not reduce the rate that the genital warts return.
Although treatments can get rid of the warts, they do not get rid of the HPV virus, so warts can reoccur after treatment. However, they body's immune system typically clears the virus within a year.[2] (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/files/portal/medicalinfo/sti/fact-HPV-virus.xml) There is even some suggestion that effective treatment of the wart may aid the body's immune response.
Pregnancy and childbirth
Genital warts may cause a number of problems during pregnancy. Sometimes they get larger during pregnancy, making it difficult to urinate. If the warts are in the vagina, they can make the vagina less elastic and cause obstruction during delivery.
Rarely, infants born to women with genital warts develop warts in their throats (laryngeal papillomatosis). Although uncommon, it is a potentially life-threatening condition for the child, requiring frequent laser surgery to prevent obstruction of the breathing passages. Research on the use of interferon therapy in combination with laser surgery indicates that this drug may show promise in slowing the course of the disease.
External links
- Index page of links to pictures of genital warts (http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/genitalwartpictures.html)
- Condyloma Acuminata/Genital Warts/HPV (http://scc.uchicago.edu/hpv.htm) (warning: images of severe genital warts at bottom of page)ms:Ketuat kelamin