Almost all of us know the shape of a wart. This type of skin growth are caused by infection with the human papillomavirus and have a raised or flattened shape. The condyloma is different, but with a similar correlation. For more details, we will address the differences between wart and condyloma and how to treat them.
Although warts are attached to certain parts such as the face, hands, soles of the feet or certain areas of the upper part of the body, there are others that proliferate in the genital part. Warts also appear in this area and many of them are created from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Differences between warts and condylomas
Condylomas can present at the age between 20 and 29 years. They will have a serious prognosis depending on the serotype of the virus that is causing this lesion, since many of them can become cancerous warts. They have one shaped like a cauliflower, called condyloma acuminata.
Warts can also be genitalThey are also lesions and there are the so-called papular warts, they are small (1-4 mm), they are soft and the color of the skin where they are implanted.
They are also the keratotic wartsThey are hard, calloused, and very similar to common warts. Flat warts have a flattened shape, some are small balls or pimples with a flat center.
From left to right: a condyloma and a wart.
Why do warts and condylomas occur?
His appearance is known for HPV infection. Warts are usually more present and in most cases the subject is usually infected without having any type of visible injuryTherefore, you believe that you are not infected or you believe that you are apparently fine.
El incubation period can last from 3 to 6 months, in other cases it lasts up to a year, therefore, it is difficult to determine that the patient is infected. According to studies, it is estimated that 75% of the sexually active population will have an HPV infection, where 15% will have an active infection and 1% with warts.
Where do they appear?
Either of the two converges in different places. They generally appear on the glans penis and the inner surface of the foreskin. In women, they occur on the vulva, labia minora, vaginal opening, and cervix. In both sexes it can occur in the perianal region, near the anus and rectum.
Many times they are there and the person carrying it does not realize it, since They do not cause any discomfort, bleeding or itching. Sometimes, if they are covered for a long time, they can produce a bad smell. In pregnant women it can increase in size and in other people with an immunosuppressed state it can cover a small area with a large number of lesions.
Treatment for warts and warts
Both have a good prognosis. Generally, 90% of infected people resolve these lesions naturally. If an immune response is offered to them over time, with the help of a doctor, these lesions disappear over time. In other cases, they can evolve into preneoplastic or neoplastic lesions depending on the type of HPV.
There are topical drug treatments:
- Local cream treatment Podophyllotoxin 0,5% where the patient can apply it at home.
- Application of Sinecatechins 10%, in the area to be treated and avoiding the mucous membranes.
- Application by the doctor in his own office with acids Trichloroacetic or Bichloroacetic at 80-90%.
- liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, a liquid at a very low temperature that freezes and at the same time burns the area. It has to be applied by the doctor.
- The application of intralesional interferon, since it acts as an antiviral, immunomodulatory and antiproliferative.
Care must be taken with this type of treatment, they are so strong or aggressive that on many occasions they cause dermatitis or unwanted scars, the patient is generally warned of such risks. In the case of pregnant women it is totally contraindicated.
Surgical treatment.
It is the most effective way, when the patient has a large number of lesions, in some cases the warts are intraretral. The doctor will remove them with the help of a scalpel or a carbon dioxide laser.
These types of infections are transmitted by sexual contact without the need for penetration. In any of the cases, the use of condoms is always the best option to avoid such infections, but sometimes it is not the best option. The condom covers only one area and others remain unprotecteds, so it does not cover 100% viral protection.
In other cases, there is a foreplay to intercourse with genital contact, where there can also be a contagion. For some years there has been human papilloma vaccine, where girls from the age of 12 are already applying it.