Human papillomavirus, which is most often transmitted sexually, leads to condylomatosis. But it is important to remember that only 5% of infected women have this disease. Human papillomavirus is an incurable pathology, but with the correct course of treatment and the implementation of preventive measures, condylomas on the vulva may not appear for many years. In this case, the human immune system will independently fight the infection for a long time. Condylomatosis of the vulva according to ICD-10 - A 63.0 (anogenital (venereal) warts).
Course of the disease
It is important to remember that with the slightest weakening of the immune defense, which can occur when various factors act, on the woman’s vagina, clitoris and vulva, genital formations begin to form, which more closely resemble small nipples. In some cases, they form singly, while in others they unite and form a growth that looks like an inflorescence of Brussels sprouts.
Genital warts of the vulva on the surface of the vagina do not bring any pain symptoms, but during intercourse there is a feeling of discomfort, they can even be damaged, which leads to heavy bleeding and inflammatory processes in a sore spot.
Main varieties
Condylomatosis of the vulva and vagina can occur in three forms - latent, clinical, as well as subclinical. It is possible to understand exactly what form of lesion is present in a woman only after a thorough diagnosis. The method of treatment will depend on the accuracy of the diagnosis.
In addition, condylomas of the vulva of the vagina may differ from each other in appearance. Most often, typical genital warts form on the vulva and vagina, in rare cases, flat or papular growths.
Latent vulvar condylomatosis passes without severe symptoms. In this case, the epithelial layer does not change in any way, warts on the surface of the clitoris and vulva are not formed. This stage of the lesion is considered the most dangerous, since at this time the woman herself does not know that she acts as a vector of infection. In this case, the disease can be detected only after carrying out diagnostic measures.
With the clinical form of the lesion, genital warts of the vulva and other forms of growths occur. With an increase in the size of the formation, they begin to bring tangible discomfort during intercourse. Over time, the formations become more and more, and their number increases.
With the subclinical form of vulvar condylomatosis, the patient forms flat condylomas. Such growths lead to a strong compaction of the epithelial layer of the vulva, without going beyond its borders. Only the attending specialist can determine the presence of such a lesion after examining the patient and conducting a comprehensive diagnosis. To imagine how the formations look, you can consider a photo of vulvar condylomatosis, which are often presented on stands in the doctor’s office.
The main causes of the development of damage
The human papillomavirus enters the female body as a result of the non-use of contraceptives during sexual intercourse. But such a defeat does not begin to appear immediately. As a rule, an infection reports itself after a decrease in the body's immune defense. Causes of genital warts:
- an immunodeficiency infection has entered the body;
- there is a lack of any vitamin or mineral in the body;
- poorly prepared diet;
- benign or malignant neoplasms;
- chronic diseases;
- bearing a child;
- problems with the endocrine system, which as a result led to a violation of the level of hormones in the body;
- physical injuries of the mucous membrane and epithelial membrane of the organ;
- not following hygiene rules, poor hygiene;
- diseases of an infectious origin.
Determining the exact cause of the appearance of vulvar condylomatosis and NGOs is very important. This will help begin effective treatment of growths without the risk of their reappearance and complications. When treating a patient, the doctor will prescribe therapy aimed at getting rid of the root cause of the disease and eliminating neoplasms.
Clinical picture
Condylomatosis can report itself not only by growths on the vulva and vagina. There are several methods that help determine the presence of a developing disease in a woman’s body:
- when engaging in sexual intercourse or immediately after its completion, a woman feels a characteristic itching and burning sensation in the genitals;
- in the visible area of the vulva, you can visually notice small and thin papillae up to 5 mm long;
- also on the vagina of a woman you can notice characteristic spots that differ significantly from the rest of the skin on the body;
- after intercourse, blood begins to liberate abundantly from the woman's vagina;
- at the time of urination, a woman feels a sharp unpleasant pain, this happens because warts begin to actively develop inside the urethra;
- neoplasms can also appear on the anus: while a woman feels pain at the time of defecation;
- when the condyloma is deformed on the vulva or vagina, an unpleasant odor starts to come from it.
The danger of developing condyloma
Condylomas are always a danger to a woman’s health. This can be explained by the fact that the basis of this formation is the same processes as during the formation of tumors, for this reason prolonged condylomatosis can indicate the development of oncological diseases in the body. During the study, it was proved that cervical condylomatosis increases the risk of cancer in a woman by 50-60 times.
Also, the woman’s papilloma virus can provoke detachment of the cervical epithelium, which will lead to infection of the developing fetus.
Large condylomas can:
- be damaged and cause severe bleeding;
- do not give normal sexual intercourse;
- bring aesthetic discomfort;
- cause nervous tension and feelings;
- interfere with normal labor.
Types of Papillomas
Also, experts distinguish the following forms of human papillomas:
- Papilloma vulgaris. Such a formation is a small cone - about 1 mm in diameter. Its keratinized part protrudes above the border of the skin. This type of papilloma is missing a leg. The formation can form on any part of the body, but most often spreads along the fingers or knees.
- Plantar papilloma. In this case, a rough formation is formed on the sole of the legs, does not differ in large size, and has an unusual protruding rim. Most often it is formed in a single amount, but can provoke the formation of daughter growths near the main papilloma. Such a formation leads to unpleasant sensations during movement, most often passes independently without outside help. In order not to confuse the papilloma with corn, it is important to remember that the surface of the corns is smoother, and there is also a characteristic pattern on them.
- Flat papilloma is a lump of a flat shape. May be a polygon. The color almost fuses with the skin. Such a lesion can occur on any part of the body, but is most often localized on the face and hands. It provokes pain, redness, burning and inflammatory processes in the affected area of the body.
- Filiform papilloma. It usually appears in patients aged 40 to 50 years. Place of distribution is the area of the eyes, neck, groin and armpits. At the beginning of development, the growth is a protrusion of yellow color and small size. After some time, the formation turns into a filiform, elastic and elongated papilloma. Filiform papilloma requires compulsory treatment.
Diagnostic measures
In the usual state, in the absence of secondary infection, an accurate diagnosis is not particularly difficult, but it is important to remember that vegetative papules (condylomas of an expanded form) have a broad base and dense elastic consistency; many white treponemes are revealed in secret.
It is much more difficult to determine the diagnosis in the formation of two types of genital warts on the vulva and vagina: genital and broad. Diagnostic measures for the detection of spirochetes and other symptoms of syphilis with the setting of CSCs will help to accurately determine the disease.
Treatment
There are many ways to treat genital warts. In some cases, the doctor prescribes a simple intake of drugs, in others, carries out special procedures. Even at the end of treatment, there is a high chance that a relapse will occur after a few weeks or months. This can be explained by the fact that when treating genital warts, it is important to completely eliminate the virus from the body. Now there are a large number of therapeutic measures that help eliminate the virus in all affected cells. In many patients, the body continues to fight the genital warts virus for several years.
Therapeutic therapy of condylomatosis can be divided into: taking local medicines that help deform the tissue of the condyloma; surgical interventions that allow you to remove tissue warts and eliminate the virus from the body. Any method of treatment should be selected depending on the form of the lesion.
"Condylox" (applied to a sore area of the body and is not washed off for some time) is an external agent for eliminating genital warts. Many patients who use Condylox feel itching, unpleasant pain, and inflammation in a sore spot. Pregnant women are forbidden to use such applications to treat the disease, since they can provoke birth defects in the embryo. Also, doctors often prescribe Imiquimod, a cream that is applied to the affected area.
Visible growths can be eliminated with the help of cold, heating, a scalpel or a medical laser. All the methods described are unpleasant and most often lead to a relapse of the lesion, since HPV continues to remain in the surrounding tissues.
It is best to resort to the removal of genital warts with a laser or simple surgical intervention in the presence of extensive lesions, this especially applies to those who did not help other treatment methods. Cryotherapy is used for less numerous skin rashes. This method does not require anesthesia, and also prevents the appearance of visible scars, as in the case of surgical intervention.
The viral nature of the lesion can be treated with antiviral drugs. Some experts inject alpha interferon directly into condylomas to prevent the possibility of relapse. Interferon therapy helps to eliminate the virus from the body, to get rid of the internal source of the disease, but this method of treatment does not guarantee protection against repeated damage.
Possible complications
The main role in the success of the treatment of the disease is played by timely diagnosis. If you ignore the symptoms of the disease, the risk increases that the process of changing the disease to a malignant form will begin. In this case, the patient may have malignant tumors, as well as squamous cell carcinoma.
Patients with this disease should be regularly observed by the attending physician. The specialist carefully monitors the general condition of the patient, as well as the reaction of his body to the selected treatment method. Continuous monitoring of the patient's condition is important to protect against relapse and complications.
Unfortunately, even after a radical removal of lesions, the possibility of relapse still remains high. For this reason, the patient is obliged to observe preventive measures: use antiviral and immunomodulating drugs prescribed by a doctor.
Condylomatosis is a disease that is quite dangerous for the human body. If you pay attention to its symptoms in time and begin the correct treatment, then the patient's condition will soon normalize.
Preventive measures
Personal prevention will include protecting the skin and mucous membranes of the genitourinary system, careful treatment of the disease, and abstinence from sexual intercourse for some time. It is also important to get rid of all existing diseases that can create the conditions for the spread of infection to prevent the development of vulvar condylomatosis.
If necessary, during treatment therapy, the treating specialist changes the method of treatment, the drug or adds additional therapy, in each case, the method will be selected individually. Observation in the dispensary is important in order to avoid the development of a relapse of the disease and to prevent its transformation to the form of a tumor.