Genital wart

Genital warts
Other namesCondylomata acuminata, venereal warts, anal warts, anogenital warts
Severe case of genital warts around the anus of a female
SpecialtyInfectious disease[1]
SymptomsSmall bumps in skin of genital area, varying sizes and shapes but typically protrude out, burning, itch[2][3]
Usual onset1-8 months following exposure[4]
CausesHPV types 6 and 11[5]
Diagnostic methodBased on symptoms, can be confirmed by biopsy[5]
Differential diagnosisMolluscum contagiosum, skin tag, condylomata lata, squamous-cell carcinoma[3]
PreventionHPV vaccine, condoms[4][6]
TreatmentMedications, cryotherapy, surgery[5]
MedicationPodophyllin, imiquimod, trichloroacetic acid[5]
Frequency~1% (US)[4]

Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV).[1] They may be flat or project out from the surface of the skin, and their color may vary; brownish, white, pale yellow, pinkish-red, or gray.[1][2][3] There may be a few individual warts or several, either in a cluster or merged together to look cauliflower-shaped.[2][7] They can be itchy and feel burning.[2] Usually they cause few symptoms, but can occasionally be painful.[5] Typically they appear one to eight months following exposure.[4] Warts are the most easily recognized symptom of genital HPV infection.[4]

HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for causing majority of genital warts whereas HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35 are also occasionally found.[5] It is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact, usually during oral, manual, vaginal, or anal sex with an infected partner.[4][8] Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms and can be confirmed by biopsy.[5] The types of HPV that cause cancer are not the same as those that cause warts.[9]

Some HPV vaccines can prevent genital warts as may condoms, with the quadrivalent and nonavalent vaccines providing virtually complete protection.[10][4][6] Treatment options include creams such as podophyllin, imiquimod, and trichloroacetic acid.[5] Cryotherapy or surgery may also be an option.[5] After treatment warts often resolve within six months.[4] Without treatment, in up to a third of cases they resolve on their own.[4]

About 1% of people in the United States have genital warts.[4] Many people, however, are infected and do not have symptoms.[4] Without vaccination nearly all sexually active people will get some type of HPV at one point in their lives.[9][11] The disease has been known at least since the time of Hippocrates in 300 BC.[12]

  1. ^ a b c James, William D.; Elston, Dirk; Treat, James R.; Rosenbach, Misha A.; Neuhaus, Isaac (2020). "19. Viral diseases: genital warts". Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (13th ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier. pp. 406–410. ISBN 978-0-323-54753-6.
  2. ^ a b c d Tripathi, Anuj; Sahu, Utkarsha (2022). "1. An overview of HPV: causes, symptoms, and clinical manifestations". In Khare, Prashant; Jain, Ashish (eds.). Immunopathology, Diagnosis and Treatment of HPV induced Malignancies. London: Elsevier. pp. 1–13. ISBN 978-0-323-98644-1.
  3. ^ a b c Ferri, Fred F. (2018). "1. Diseases and disorders". Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2018. Philadelphia: Elsevier. p. 1376. ISBN 9780323529570.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Juckett, G; Hartman-Adams, H (Nov 15, 2010). "Human papillomavirus: clinical manifestations and prevention". American Family Physician. 82 (10): 1209–13. PMID 21121531.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "CDC - Genital Warts - 2010 STD Treatment Guidelines". www.cdc.gov. 28 January 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Genital warts". NHS. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  7. ^ Madoff, Robert D.; Melton-Meax, Genevieve B. (2020). "136. Diseases of the rectum and anus: anal warts". In Goldman, Lee; Schafer, Andrew I. (eds.). Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Vol. 1 (26th ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier. p. 938. ISBN 978-0-323-55087-1.
  8. ^ Hoyle, Alice; McGeeney, Ester (2019). Great Relationships and Sex Education. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 978-1-35118-825-8. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  9. ^ a b US National Cancer Institute. "HPV and Cancer". Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Human papillomavirus vaccines (HPV)". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  11. ^ US Centers for Disease Control. "Genital HPV Infection - Fact Sheet". Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  12. ^ Syrjänen, Kari J.; Syrjänen, Stina M. (2000). Papillomavirus infections in human pathology. Chichester [u.a.]: Wiley. p. 1. ISBN 9780471971689.