Papillomas on the neck

Cervical papillomas are one manifestation of an infectious disease caused by the human papillomavirus. Refers to benign skin formations.

Causes of neck papillomas

There is an etiological reason why papillomas start to develop on the neck or any other area of ​​the human body - infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which belongs to the family Papovaviridae. There are more than 100 serotypes of this pathogen, each of which is responsible for the appearance of a different clinical picture of the disease (papilloma, condyloma, warts - these concepts are synonymous, different names are associated with the peculiarities of localization in aparticular area).

The main routes of transmission are contact-household and genital (condyloma of the perianal region). The virus can only penetrate the skin in the presence of micro-damage or open wounds, in other cases it is not able to pass the protective barrier of the skin.

Pathogen information

1. It has a high degree of spread regardless of gender (however, it manifests itself more often in women than in men), age or region (according to some sources, 2/3 ofthe planet is infected with this virus).
2. Contains twisted-ring double-stranded DNA capable of integrating into the human genome.
3. Infection with certain strains is associated with a high carcinogenic risk, especially in the event of permanent damage. Cervical papillomas are caused by non-oncogenic strains of the virus.
4. A virus goes through two main stages in the division process. At the first stage, it is in episomal (free) form, and in the same period, the main division of the viral particle occurs. This phase is reversible (after treatment, long-term remission occurs). At the second stage - integrative -, the virus is implanted in the genome of the cell (the first stage towards cell degeneration and the formation of a malignant neoplasm). The first stage is transient and passes relatively quickly, while the second is latent and explains the existence of carriers.
5. The basal layer of the epidermis, where the virus replicates, is affected. In the remaining layers, the pathogen may persist, but not divide. Provided that the virus is in the germ layer, as it grows, the normal differentiation of cells in all layers of this area is disturbed, especially in the spiny layer.
6. Has a tendency for long-term asymptomatic carriage in the body (from several months to a year). It is rarely possible to identify a specific time of infection - this is why treatment begins during a period of intense clinical manifestations, and not at the first vague signs.
7. To prevent infection, bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines are used, which are particularly effective against the most oncogenic strains 16 and 18.

Predisposing factors

1. Lack of hygiene. Since the virus is able to maintain vital activity in the external environment for a long time, it is necessary to carefully observe the rules of personal hygiene when visiting public places (swimming pool, public baths, bathroomsport).
2. Traumatic lesions of the skin. For the virus to penetrate, microcracks or scratches on the skin (caused for example by the neck rubbing with the collar of a shirt) are enough.
3. Impaired immune system function. With immunodeficiencies of any genesis, favorable conditions arise for the development of any infection. For example, frequent colds and infectious diseases lead to a weakened immune system and the appearance of papillomas on the skin.
4. Self-infection when scratching the skin.
5. Systematic lifestyle disorder (stress, lack of physical activity, poor diet). These factors affect the work of all metabolic processes in the body and lead to a decrease in the barrier function of the skin.
6. Environmental factors affecting the decrease in the body's defenses (hypothermia, excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays).

External manifestations of the disease

The cervical papillomas in the photo look like this:

1. The growth is most often located on a broad base and protrudes considerably above the surface of the skin. Less frequently, the base of the papilloma is represented by a thin leg (in this case, the formation takes a hanging position). In the second option, the risk of injury is much higher.
2. The boundaries of education are level and clear.
3. The color does not differ from the surrounding skin. In rare cases, it may be a little paler or darker than adjacent tissue.
4. The surface is often flat, smooth. Sometimes growths are possible at the top of the papilloma, making its surface ribbed.
5. The diameter varies widely - from 1 to 3 mm to several centimeters (small diameter papillomas are more common).
6. Location on any area of ​​the neck (back, front side). Sometimes the face is involved.

Usually there are many lesions located along the skin folds.

In very rare cases, papillomas in the neck can become malignant, that is, degenerate into a skin tumor. This can occur as a result of infection with an oncogenic strain of HPV.

Signs that may indicate a malignant transformation are as follows:

• color change and heterogeneity (polymorphism);
• change of border (blur, loss of definition);
• the appearance of asymmetry (when drawing a line through the conditional midpoint of the formation, two equal halves can not be obtained);
• intensive growth;
• bleeding or ulceration (a non-specific symptom, as it is also characteristic of a simple lesion of the neoplasm);
• itching, burning, peeling;
• dropouts are formed (small daughter formations around the power plant).

The appearance of such signs does not necessarily mean degeneration of the papilloma, but it does mean that you need to see a doctor and undergo a differential diagnosis, to find out whether it is a common inflamed mole orskin cancer.

How to get rid of neck papillomas

Treatment of papillomas on the neck is carried out only in a complex manner with a simultaneous effect on the pathological focus of the skin and on the pathogen itself in the blood.

There are several ways to fight:

Method	Description
Drugs	The use of cytostatics, immunomodulators is designed to suppress the replication of the viral agent in the affected area and reduce its concentration in the blood. Some drugs (keratolytics) are applied topically directly to destroy skin growth (cauterize and cause tissue necrosis).
Physical methods	Cryodestruction, laser therapy, electrocoagulation. They aim to get rid of papillomas from the neck and other parts of the body. These methods allow you to restore the aesthetic appearance of the open areas and remove the viral reservoir - the skin neoplasms themselves, but they do not completely remove the virus from the body.
Combination therapy	Combines the two previous options and is therefore the most efficient.

Treating papillomas with folk home remedies (celandine juice, for example) is ineffective and often dangerous. In any case, a prerequisite is the consultation of a doctor.

Physical methods of destruction

Formations can be effectively reduced using the following physical methods:

Method	Description
Local action with concentrated acid solutions	A 1. 5% solution of zinc chloropropionate in 50% 2-chloropropionic acid, a combination of nitric, acetic, oxalic, lactic acids and copper nitrate trihydrate, is used, etc. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis by a specialist (dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist) in compliance with surgical rules. . . The agent is applied punctually with a spatula until the color of the formation changes to a lighter color (as soon as this has occurred, any further application should be stopped immediately). For complete cure of the papilloma, on average, you need to perform 1-2 treatments.
Electrocoagulation	Using a special electric knife, a point excision of the formations is performed without affecting the underlying tissues (there is a minimal effect on healthy skin cells). The method is most convenient when the formation has a long rod and a small size.
Cryodestruction	The focus is exposed to liquid nitrogen, ultra-low temperature causes tissue necrosis. It is good to clean this mode of education with a broad base. The time of action of nitrogen is selected by a specialist (1 to 5 minutes). After moxibustion, a burn forms, which heals in an average of 10 days.
Laser removal	The most modern and delicate approach to removing growths in prominent places such as the neck. Has the most positive reviews. Using a light guide for 5 s to 3 min in continuous mode, influence the focus. The healing period is much shorter than with other methods (5-7 days). The technique is associated with minimal trauma to the surrounding tissues due to the high precision of the action.
Classical surgical removal (scalpel excision)	Used extremely rarely, only with large lesions or with suspected malignancy. The reason is that the lesions are often multiple, scattered around the neck and too small for excision, moreover, after surgical excision, scars may remain, which in themselves create a cosmetic defect.