Papillomas on the penis

Most of the time, people are not aware that the human papillomavirus (HPV) is present in their body.This is because the papilloma virus is usually in a latent form and is suppressed by natural immunity.Problems arise when it gets out of control and begins to actively manifest itself in the form of growths on various parts of the body.Men are less likely to suffer from the consequences of the virus than women, but they can also experience serious problems in the form of papillomas on the penis.

Causes

Viral DNA enters the body through microtears in the skin or mucous membranes.If a man's immunity is weakened, the first manifestations of HPV appear several months after infection.

Up to 80% of cases of transmission occur through sexual intercourse.Barrier contraception minimizes the risk of infection, but does not completely eliminate it.

Other routes of infection:

1. Household way.The virus is transmitted through personal belongings of an infected person: clothing, hygiene items, etc. The risk of transmission increases if there is skin damage, even minor.This pathway is characterized by infection with weakly oncogenic virus types.They do not lead to serious health problems, but appear in the form of condylomas, papillomas and warts and cause a cosmetic defect.
2. From mother to child.If a mother was infected with HPV during pregnancy and childbirth and gave birth naturally, the likelihood of the child becoming infected is high.

If a man has good immune defenses, the virus does not manifest itself and can remain in the body for a long time in a latent form.Therefore, it is not the infection with the virus itself that is dangerous, but the weakening of the immune system, which leads to the activation of HPV.

There are a number of factors that influence the possibility of viral amplification:

• chronic diseases;
• hormonal problems;
• incorrectly selected contraception or its complete absence;
• viral infections;
• alcohol, smoking, or long-term use of antibiotics;
• frequent stress.

All of these factors have a negative effect on the immune system.If there is not one but several provoking factors in a man's life, this leads to a faster development of the papilloma virus.

Symptoms

Often papillomas only appear externally, but in some cases they can also appearnon-specific symptoms:

• Itching and burning during sexual intercourse;
• pain when touching papillomas;
• Accumulation of urine in the folds of the penis;
• unpleasant odor in the affected area.

In addition, neoplasms can grow and affect not only the penile area, but also appear on the anus and pubic bone.

What do papillomas look like?

The papilloma on the penis is a small neoplasm.At first it can occur alone, but without proper treatment the number of papillomas increases.At the same time they can merge with each other.

Such new growths resemble flesh-colored or pink cauliflower inflorescences.They are most commonly located in the foreskin area, on the head and on the frenulum.Less commonly, they are diagnosed in the urethra and scrotum.Papillomas can also appear as small white pimples that appear in long rows.This form is typical for localization in the frenulum area.

One of the manifestations of HPV is Buschke-Levenshtein condyloma.It is characterized by rapid growth, outstanding size and resistance to various types of treatment.Its appearance is due to multiple existing papillomas and condylomas, which merge into each other and form a large affected area.The presence of Buschke-Levenshtein condyloma is dangerous because the cells changed as a result can easily develop into cancer.

Which doctor should I contact?

As a rule, a urologist diagnoses papillomas in men.If you have condyloma in the anal area, you can also consult a dermatovenereologist or proctologist.However, to remove papillomas, they are usually referred to a surgeon.Overall, diagnostics takes place in several stages:

1. The urologist examines and questions the patient.An oral survey is necessary to assess the patient's lifestyle and determine the cause of infection with the virus.During the visual examination, not only the condition of the penis is assessed, but also the adjacent organs - scrotum, anal area.This is necessary to complete the picture of the localization of the virus.
2. Submit a urethral swab.Determines the presence of various sexually transmitted diseases.
3. PCR.This analysis not only shows the presence of HPV in the body, but most likely also determines its type.
4. Flesh reflection.This procedure is an examination of the urethra when the papilloma virus has affected the frenulum.
5. After removal of the papillomaThe doctor may order a biopsyto assess the condition of a removed tumor.This is necessary to exclude the risk of cancer and to make sure that the papilloma is benign.

In this case, it is recommended to examine both partners.Usually the woman is also infected with one of the papillomavirus types.If a man is only treated, it is likely that after a while he will get sick again.

Why are papillomas dangerous?

Human papillomavirus is often accompanied by other related diseases.The appearance of papillomas in the glans area contributes to the accumulation of urine in the folds.This creates conditions for the emergence and growth of various microorganisms, which subsequently lead to infections.They can cause erosions around the papilloma and also contribute to inflammation of the urethra and testicles.These diseases are characterized by problems with urination, pain and high fever.

Another danger is injury to the tumors, which leads to bleeding.This is because many blood vessels form around the papillomas, supplying them with blood.Even minor damage can lead to infection due to trauma.

In addition, neoplasms can rub when moving, causing pain and discomfort in men.

HPV and cancer

When the virus is just beginning to spread, new growths are rare and harmless.Without treatment, they grow and fuse together.Over time, the cells degenerate into malignant cells.The risk of cancer is especially high if a man is infected with highly oncogenic virus types - 16 or 18.They contribute to the development of penile and bladder cancer.

Treatment of papillomas

Treatment of HPV involves not only eliminating its external manifestations, but also strengthening the immune system, which is designed to block the manifestations of the virus.Immunostimulating drugs are used to maintain immunity.

An ointment that suppresses the reproduction of the virus and removes small growths is effective as an antiviral drug.The task of complete removal is not always coped with, but it prevents the appearance of new growths.An antiviral ointment is prescribed to stimulate the immune system.The ointment does not remove papillomas, but helps to activate cells of the immune system, which stops their growth and development.

Removal methods

There are several ways to get rid of newly appearing tumors:

1. Laser removal.The papilloma is exposed to a laser beam that completely burns out the growth.A crust forms at this point and falls off after a few weeks.The method is considered effective due to the absence of relapses.The removal is carried out under anesthesia.In this case, there is no bleeding, no scars or scars remain.
2. Cryodestruction.Papillomas are exposed to liquid nitrogen.It immediately freezes the desired area, the neoplasm on it is destroyed and dies.The disadvantage of this method is that the depth of cryodestruction cannot be controlled.In addition, a crust remains at the site of the removed papilloma, which disappears after a while.
3. Radiosurgery.The principle of operation of this method is similar to laser removal.Radio waves do not leave scars and the procedure is preceded by preliminary anesthesia with a special spray.After that, no complications arise and the body recovers quickly.
4. Electrocoagulation.The growth is subjected to an electric current, causing the stalk to be removed and the papilloma to disappear.If necessary, superficial anesthesia can be used.The procedure takes a few minutes, is widespread and affordable.However, this method can leave scars after healing.
5. Surgical intervention.It is used in rare cases when the tumor becomes too large.It is carried out under anesthesia and is characterized by long healing and traumatization.The good thing about this method is that you can preserve the removed growth for histological examination.

The price of each method depends on the complexity of the work, the size and number of papillomas to be removed.

Before choosing a method, consult your doctor.He will tell you what is best to use in your situation and explain in detail how the procedure is carried out.Even after the tumor has been removed, it is advisable to remove the material for histology.This is necessary to determine whether the process of degeneration of benign neoplasms into malignant ones has begun.This method helps to detect cell changes early and prevent the spread of cancer.