Human papillomavirus (HPV) leads to the growth of epithelial tissue in the skin, mucous membranes of the angenital region and the upper respiratory tract. Uncommonly affects the internal organs - esophagus, bronchi, rectum, bladder. As a result of the activity of the virus, various types of tumors form. Some of them are quite benign by nature and others are threatened by cancer. In which cases does papilloma need special attention and removal? The article will tell.
The route of infection
Infection occurs after contact with a virus carrier, as well as with a sick person or animal. Interestingly, an infected person may completely lack the clinical symptoms of papillomatosis. Sometimes he does not even know about his infection. The virus enters the human body through scarring of the skin or mucous membranes. Individual virus particles are sufficient to develop infectious processes. The virus is able to maintain its viability in the environment. Therefore, self-infection is also possible with hygiene and in daily life (shaving, epilepsy, fair skin, self-injections). Baths, swimming pools, gyms, etc. s. frv. are considered to be the main breeding grounds for infection, a number of diseases have been recorded among school children. A newborn baby can become infected with human papillomavirus as it passes through the mother's birth canal.
Types of HPV
To date, researchers have identified about 180 types of HPV, including 29 strains considered carcinogenic. Depending on the carcinogenic potential, they are divided into viruses:
- low carcinogenicity (types 6, 11, 40, 42, 43, 44, 54, 61, 70, 72, 81),
- average stage of cancer activity (types 26, 31, 33, 35, 51, 52, 53, 58, 66)
- high carcinogenicity (16, 18, 39, 45, 56, 59, 68, 73, 82).
According to the latest data, one or another strain of human papillomavirus can be found in the blood of about 80% of the world's population. However, this does not mean that everyone is infected with papillomatosis. What factors cause the development of the disease?
Immunity and papilloma
Why does the virus disappear without a trace from the body of some, in others it lives a lifetime without consequences and in others it leads to the formation of papillomas? HPV is an infection that is completely capable of suppressing the immune system. Healthy people and virus carriers show a strong immune system that suppresses the proliferation of foreign substances. The specific role of cellular resistance has been established. It inhibits the persistent virus at its stage (ability to be active for a long time outside the acute phase) and in some cases it contributes to the regression of the disease. Automatic regression of papillomatosis occurs within six months. However, everyone's body protection is not at such a high level and then the latent HPV infection turns into an open (prominent) form. Papillomas form under the influence of factors such as:
- promiscuous sex, frequent exchanges;
- contact with a partner with a history of genital papillomatosis;
- coexistence of sexually transmitted infections;
- immune deficiency in vitamin deficiency, atopic dermatitis, pregnancy, AIDS;
- frequent colds and SARS;
- hormonal contraception;
- autoimmune diseases;
- smoking and alcohol.
The skin, which has damage or a tendency to inflammation, becomes a powerful provocative factor, it ceases to play a protective role. Therefore, people with inflammatory diseases of the skin (acne, rash), eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis are at risk.
Papillomatosis of the respiratory tract
Recurrent papillomatosis of the respiratory tract is the most common benign tumor of the larynx. In the respiratory tract, papilloma occurs in any area - from the nasopharynx to pneumonia. But it usually affects the lining of the larynx. The severity of the disease is determined by the presence of growth in the narrowest area, which contributes to obstruction, up to suffocation. In adults, it is considered a mandatory pre-cancer due to a major malignancy (degeneration of a malignant tumor). The main symptom of the disease is usually hoarseness, which then develops into a loss of tone of voice. The patient can continue to whisper. In the first stage, manifestations of respiratory papillomatosis are sometimes mistaken for acute laryngitis. Therefore, it is impossible to prescribe treatment without endocrine examination. Various physiotherapy procedures in the laryngeal area lead to the rapid growth of papillomas.
Baby warts
Warts are benign epidermal growths that mainly occur in children and adolescents. They develop on the face, hands, neck, which often causes their owners great emotional problems. However, more than 70% of these species of papillomas disappear without a trace within 1, 5 - 2 years. Therefore, doctors resort to removing them only in special cases, because when the hormonal changes are over, it is quite possible that the body will deal with HPV infection on its own. Additional risk factors in childhood are frequent stress related to studies and exams, overwork, lack of sleep, malnutrition, sensitive skin in infants, acne.
It is necessary to remove papillomas on the skin
Some tumors degenerate into malignant tumors. You can not ignore this process if you pay attention to yourself. It is necessary to call an alert if one of the symptoms is found:
- papilloma changes in size and layout (it grows rapidly, the edges are blurred, additional growth and a seal is formed);
- the color of the tumor changes towards darkening;
- the inflammatory process merges, the skin flakes, cracks, fluid leaks;
- pain appears.
All of the above are indications of removing growth. It is also worth resorting to a radical approach to problem solving if the papilloma is located in places that are accessible for daily injuries (neck, armpits, waist, etc. ). Constant grazing and massage can trigger a carcinogenic process and also contribute to the entry of pathogenic microorganisms.
Methods for removing tumors
Destructive methods of treating skin growth are divided into:
- substances (trichloroacetic acid 80-90% and other drugs);
- physical (plasma coagulation, antifreeze, laser treatment, electrosurgery).
If abortion is expected in adolescents or pregnant women, only laser treatment is used. After elimination, the use of topical antiviral and immunosuppressive agents is recommended.
But the main method of eradicating papillomas in the larynx is cervical surgery under anesthesia using either an orthopedic device or surgery, after which only a steady state of disease is recorded in one third of patients. In practice, a composite approach is used: additional antifreeze is performed (with the local form of the disease), local antitumor drugs are prescribed. The most common is inhalation with a special solution.