Genital wart
Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). They may be flat or project out from the surface of the skin, and their color may vary; brownish, white, pale yellow, pinkish-red, or gray. There may be a few individual warts or several, either in a cluster or merged together to look cauliflower-shaped. They can be itchy and feel burning. Usually they cause few symptoms, but can occasionally be painful. Typically they appear one to eight months following exposure. Warts are the most easily recognized symptom of genital HPV infection.
| Genital warts | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Condylomata acuminata, venereal warts, anal warts, anogenital warts |
| Severe case of genital warts around the anus of a female | |
| Specialty | Infectious disease |
| Symptoms | Small bumps in skin of genital area, varying sizes and shapes but typically protrude out, burning, itch |
| Usual onset | 1-8 months following exposure |
| Causes | HPV types 6 and 11 |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms, can be confirmed by biopsy |
| Differential diagnosis | Molluscum contagiosum, skin tags, condyloma latum, squamous cell carcinoma |
| Prevention | HPV vaccine, condoms |
| Treatment | Medications, cryotherapy, surgery |
| Medication | Podophyllin, imiquimod, trichloroacetic acid |
| Frequency | ~1% (US) |
HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for causing majority of genital warts whereas HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35 are also occasionally found. It is spread through direct skin-to-skin contact, usually during oral, manual, vaginal, or anal sex with an infected partner. Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms and can be confirmed by biopsy. The types of HPV that cause cancer are not the same as those that cause warts.
Some HPV vaccines can prevent genital warts as may condoms. Treatment options include creams such as podophyllin, imiquimod, and trichloroacetic acid. Cryotherapy or surgery may also be an option. After treatment warts often resolve within six months. Without treatment, in up to a third of cases they resolve on their own.
About 1% of people in the United States have genital warts. Many people, however, are infected and do not have symptoms. Without vaccination nearly all sexually active people will get some type of HPV at one point in their lives. The disease has been known at least since the time of Hippocrates in 300 BC.