Which warts on hands and face are caused by HPV? Distinguishing and treating 6 common warts

For medical professionals only

Does the HPV vaccine prevent warts?

Warts are growths on the skin surface caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). They can be divided into many types according to the site of the disease and their manifestations. The most concerning issues include which type of wart is each type of wart? What performance? How to treat? And what is the difference between non-STD skin warts and condyloma acuminatum? What are the similarities and differences in treatment? We will answer them one by one.

Warts with different manifestations

Common warts, commonly known as warts, are small, pinpoint-sized skin bumps that initially grow to the size of a pea or larger, and become round or polygonal. The surface is rough and keratinized, and it is hard to touch. Most of them are single, but they also gradually increase to several or dozens. Generally no symptoms, occasional tenderness.

It usually occurs in adolescents, and the disease sites are mostly in the fingers, back of the hand, and the edge of the foot. It can also occasionally occur at the edge of the nail or under the nail. Some common warts are like filamentous protrusions, with a soft texture, which are often found on the neck, chin, eyelids, etc., called filamentous warts, and some have uneven multiple finger-like protrusions on the basis of the same wart, called finger-like protrusions. wart.

Common warts, the picture comes from Sohu.com

Flat wart, also known as juvenile flat wart, mainly affects young people, most of them appear suddenly, and the number is large, ranging from rice grains to soybean size, flat and raised skin surface Small dots, light brown or normal skin color, round, oval or polygonal, smooth and hard surface, can even be arranged in strips along the scratches, usually occur on the face, the back of the hand, the forearm, etc., generally no Subjective symptoms, occasional slight itching, may suddenly disappear on their own, but most persist.

Flat warts, the picture comes from Sohu.com

Plantary warts, are common warts that occur on the soles of the feet and are caused by trauma and friction. The initial stage is a small and shiny skin bump, and then gradually increases, the surface is keratinized, rough and uneven, round, well-defined, single or multiple, sometimes around a larger plantar wart, scattered with small needle-sized warts Satellite warts, sometimes several warts clustered together or merged into a horny patch. Pain can be produced during compression, which can subside naturally, but the course of the disease is usually slow. Plantar warts should be differentiated from corns and calluses. The latter two lesions are flaky and keratinized without wart-like skin bulges.

Planar warts, the picture comes from Sohu.com

Condyloma acuminatum, mostly occurs in the skin and mucous membrane moist areas near the external genitalia and anus. It is often related to sexual contact infection and is the most common sexually contact infectious disease. It is a kind of small reddish skin bulge at the beginning, which gradually increases and increases, the surface is uneven, papillary, moist and soft, and some can be mushroom-shaped or cauliflower-like protrusions. Due to the accumulation of purulent secretions in the cracks of the skin lesions, there is a foul odor. Due to the constant local humidity and chronic stimulation, it often grows rapidly, and it can increase significantly during pregnancy or severe liver disease, which may be related to the increase in female hormones.

Condyloma acuminatum can grow to the size of a fist or larger, and genital warts in the vagina, penis, or perianal area can transform into squamous cell carcinoma, which usually takes 5-40 minutes to transform. Years, so the disease should be prevented as soon as possible to avoid cancer. The disease is prone to occur in patients with chronic leucorrhea or excessive prepuce, and patients with immunodeficiency are also prone to this disease.

Condyloma acuminatum, the picture comes from Zhihu

There is also pseudo-condyloma, mainly confined to the inner side of female labia minora, with smooth surface and long-term unchanged size, pseudo-condyloma is not contagious, not a sexually transmitted disease, Mainly related to long-term irritation of vaginal secretions, no special treatment is required.

The last Molluscum contagiosum, a type of sexually transmitted disease, but can also be infected through non-contact, the rash is waxy umbilical hemispherical particles .

Molluscum contagiosum, the picture comes from Zhihu

Different treatments for warts

There are many ways to treat warts, and different warts have different treatments.

Condyloma acuminatum: Oral therapy such as injections and medicines are ineffective for him. The main treatment methods are electrocautery, laser and freezing (liquid nitrogen) therapy to remove growths The wart is very effective, and most of them can be cured at one time. Condyloma acuminatum with larger warts needs to be surgically removed. If the number of condyloma acuminatum is small and the wart is small, topical 5% fluorouracil ointment can also be applied topically. However, these external drugs have corrosive effects, and normal skin should be protected during application to avoid normal skin ulceration. It is best to treat under the guidance of a doctor. Some condyloma acuminatum can recur after treatment, and the treatment can be repeated according to the above method.

Common warts: The number of warts is often small, so electrocautery, laser, surgical excision and other methods are mostly used for treatment, and the effect of internal medicine on it is not significant.

Plantary warts: As mentioned above, the incidence is related to trauma and friction, so patients should wear soft shoes, and can also be treated by electrocautery, laser and other methods.

Flat warts: is the most common type of warts, the number is often large, ranging from dozens to hundreds, so electrocautery, laser, Surgery and other methods are often difficult to carry out, and more use of oral therapy.

Molluscum contagiosum: It is easier to treat, no oral or injectable drugs are required, the wart is clamped with tweezers, the molluscum corpuscle is squeezed out, and then Apply iodine to disinfect.

Does the HPV vaccine prevent skin warts

Although skin warts are caused by HPV infection, there is no direct relationship between skin warts and HPV infection. HPV vaccination cannot prevent the infection of flat warts, common warts, and toe warts, but the 4-valent and 9-valent HPV vaccines can prevent the infection of condyloma acuminatum.

However, both skin warts and HPV infections are serious diseases and can cause cancer. So no matter what kind of disease you have, you should go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.

References:

[1] Zheng Xiuqun. Efficacy of liquid nitrogen freezing combined with antiviral drugs in the treatment of patients with facial flat warts [J]. Medical Equipment, 2021,34(18):112-113.

[2] Zhu Jing, Zhu Qilin, Yang Jun. Dermoscopy characteristics of 28 cases of single atypical molluscum contagiosum[J]. Chinese Journal of Modern Medicine, 2021, 31(18 ):69-74.

[3] Liu Zhongyan, Xu Meng, Fu Shengxiang. Observation on the effect of external application of 5% imiquimod cream combined with traditional Chinese medicine soaking in the treatment of multiple plantar warts [J]. Dermatology and Venereal Diseases ,2021,43(04):601-602.

This article was first published: Medical Obstetrics and Gynecology Channel

The author of this article: Zhang Mengyuan

This article review: Qiu Junjun

Editor in charge: Yi Chuan