Papillomas are blisters that appear on a person's skin and mucous membranes. They are not really a disease, but just an external manifestation of the body being infected with HPV - the virus that causes human papillomavirus.
Papillomaviruses exist in many different strains, some of which are dangerous because melanomas have the property of malignant transformation, which means they can turn into malignancies.
The reasons for the appearance of papillomas on the penis
Papillomas are benign formations on the skin or mucous membranes of a wrinkled nature.
The human papillomavirus is transmitted in several ways, from an infected person to a healthy person. The main method is sexual intercourse, with unprotected intercourse. But you can "catch" the virus in a familial way, through contact with a carrier of the virus, if there is a defect in the integrity of the body or mucous membranes, through contaminated blood and other fluids. -withdraw.
It is quite difficult to completely "destroy" a virus that has entered the body, but in about 90% of cases an independent cure occurs, i. e. the immune system "kills" the virus on its own. However, in some cases, the disease is recurrent in nature and can persist for many years.
A particular danger is posed by strains with a potential for malignancy, i. e. the transformation of cancer into malignancy.
HPV virus has a long incubation period, strong immunity, can last from a month to a year.
But once the immune system is weakened, it immediately senses itself. Symptoms of its presence are formations on the body and mucous membranes, which can be round, oval or oblong in shape and vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters.
Medicine has known more than 600 strains of viruses, including more than 40 strains that are capable of causing tumors in the genital and anal areas in men and women. They are the cause of papillomas on the penis, known as genital warts.
Some papillomas are harmless to human health, others are capable of causing an unpleasant cosmetic defect - warts, and still others threaten the body with the most dangerous disease -cancer. There is medical evidence between developing cervical cancer and breast cancer with certain strains of HPV.
If a virus that can cause genital papillomas enters the body, its main route of entry is considered sexual. Promiscuous relationships, bisexual and same-sex relationships are especially dangerous. But the virus can also be congenital - the fetus becomes infected when it passes through an infected mother's birth canal. There is also a risk of spreading skin lesions when going to swimming pools, public toilets, bathing, saunas, exercising, when plucking, shaving.
Signs and symptoms of the disease
Symptoms depend on the location, number, and size of the papilloma.
Usually, papillomas on the penis affect the glans of the organ, "settle" along the foreskin, form clumps on the bridle, and can even invade the urethra.
With the strong growth of papillomas shaped like "cauliflower", during intercourse, when urinating can be injured, painful, even bleeding.
Since this is a viral disease, the stage of activation of papillomas is accompanied by a sharp decline in immunity. A person feels weak, comatose, the body temperature may rise, usually below the threshold (37 - 37. 5 ° C). Due to weakened immunity, sick people can easily catch colds and "process" ARVI and ARI.
The proliferation of papillomas can lead to narrowing of the foreskin.
Due to this condition, a special lubricant accumulates on the tip of the penis - smegma. Its infection can lead to the development of a dangerous disease, therefore, if even single papillomas are detected, you need to consult a doctor. Isolated tumors can be removed very quickly and almost painlessly, stopping their growth and having a high risk of degenerating into malignancies.
Necessary tests and exams
The presence of papillomas is determined by the doctor with the naked eye, but further studies are needed to clarify the strain and how dangerous it is to the patient. Patients donate blood for typing by PCR, a Digene screening test, and are tested for the presence of sexually transmitted diseases, since in the majority of cases, HPV is "associated" with STDs.
If infiltration of papillomas into the urethra is suspected, urethroscopy is performed. Your doctor may order a biopsy if the tumor is too large or if the doctor suspects that the tumor has begun to degenerate into a cancerous tumor.
Methods of treatment and removal of papillomas
The human papilloma virus cannot be completely eliminated from the body, and sometimes the virus remains in it until the end of the patient's life. Medicine to fight HPV is the use of antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs to stimulate the activity of one's own immunity.
Basically, the doctor's actions are aimed at eliminating the external signs of the presence of the virus, that is, the papillomas, warts and genital warts themselves.
Only in cases of degenerative cancer can complex treatment methods, including surgery and the use of chemotherapy, be used to eliminate the threat of tumor spread.
To remove papillomas on the penis, the following treatments are used:
- Surgical removal.
- Electrolytic coagulation.
- Removal of formations with a laser (neodymium or carbon dioxide).
- Cryodestruction - destroy the tumor with liquid nitrogen. Cryodestruction can be applied or aerosolized.
- Chemical cauteritization.
In most cases, the use of these methods is enough to remove the papilloma and prevent its reappearance.
The treatment method chosen by the doctor depends on the extent of the lesion, the type of cancer, the patient's health condition, and age.
There is a specialized vaccine used in women to prevent the deadliest disease - squamous cell carcinoma, or cancer of the cervix. It has been shown that it is caused by one of the dangerous strains of the human papillomavirus, because when there is no HPV in the body, this type of cancer does not occur.
Unfortunately, today there is no vaccine that can prevent infection with other types of papillomaviruses in humans, including those that cause growths on male intimate organs. The only effective way of protection is still to use condoms when having sex, as well as to observe personal hygiene, to be cautious about the risk of infection that may occur in public places.
Prognosis and possible complications
Doctors come to the conclusion that in 90% of cases of HPV infection, if a person has strong immunity, the body will independently cope with the virus within 24 months. But this observation only applies to certain strains of the human papillomavirus, which are not capable of causing cancer development.
The most dangerous complication that should be considered malignancy is the transformation of papillomas into cancer. But only a small fraction of HPV strains have such properties. The sad consequences can be prevented with early access to medical help and timely diagnosis.
In rare cases, after removal of the papilloma, tumors can form on the scar tissue and around it, if the virus is actively multiplying in the patient's body due to weakened immunity. In such a situation, it is necessary to repeatedly remove papillomas and comprehensively strengthen the patient's immunity to prevent further development of papillomas.
In most cases, the prognosis is good if the disease is not too severe. But this rarely happens with genital warts, as their growth causes severe discomfort to the man, and he quickly goes to the doctor.