Papillomas on the neck

Cervical papillomas are one of the manifestations of an infectious disease caused by the human papillomavirus. It refers to benign skin formations.

Causes of papillomas on the neck

There is an etiological reason why papillomas start to grow on the neck or any other area of ​​the human body - infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a member of the Papovaviridae family. 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 location in a given area).

The main transmission routes are home-contact and genital contact (condyloma of the perianal region). The virus is able to penetrate the skin only if there are microdamages or open wounds, in other cases it cannot pass through the skin's protective barrier.

Information on pathogens

1. It has a high degree of spread regardless of sex (however, it manifests itself more in women than in men), age or region (according to some sources, 2/3 of the planet is infected with the virus).
2. Contains double-stranded and twisted-ring DNA that is able to integrate into the human genome.
3. Infection with some strains is associated with a high carcinogenic risk, especially in the case of permanent lesions. Cervical papillomas are caused by non-oncogenic strains of the virus.
4. A virus goes through two main stages in the process of division. In the first stage, it is in the episomic (free) form and, in the same period, the main division of the viral particle occurs. This phase is reversible (long-term remission occurs after treatment). In the second - integrative stage, the virus is implanted in the cell genome (first step 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 can persist, but not divide. As long as the virus is in the germ layer, as it grows, the normal differentiation of cells in all layers of that area is interrupted, especially at the level of the spinous layer.
6. Has a tendency to a long-term asymptomatic body condition (from several months to a year). It is rarely possible to identify a specific moment of the infection - that 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 especially effective against the most oncogenic strains 16 and 18.

Predisposing factors

1. Lack of hygiene. As 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, changing room, gym).
2. Traumatic skin lesions. For the virus to penetrate, microcracks or scratches on the skin (for example, caused by friction of the neck with the collar of a shirt) are enough.
3. Impaired immune system function. With immunodeficiencies of any genesis, favorable conditions for the development of any infection arise. For example, frequent colds and infectious diseases lead to a weakened immune system and the appearance of papillomas on the skin.
4. Autoinfection when scratching the skin.
5. Systematic lifestyle disorder (stress, lack of physical activity, inadequate diet). These factors affect the functioning of all metabolic processes in the body and lead to a decrease in the skin's barrier function.
6. Environmental factors that affect the decrease in the body's defenses (hypothermia, excessive ultraviolet exposure).

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 significantly above the surface of the skin. Less commonly, the base of the papilloma is represented by a thin leg (in this case, the formation takes on a suspended position). In the second option, the risk of injury is much greater.
2. The limits of education are regular and clear.
3. The color does not differ from the surrounding skin. In rare cases, it may be slightly lighter or darker than the surrounding tissues.
4. The surface is usually flat and smooth. Sometimes, growths are possible at the top of the papilloma, which makes its surface striated.
5. The diameter varies widely - from 1-3 mm to several centimeters (small diameter papillomas are more common).
6. Location in any area of ​​the neck (back, side front). Sometimes, the face is involved.

As a rule, 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 HPV strain.

The signs that may indicate a malignant transformation are as follows:

• color change and heterogeneity (polymorphism);
• edge change (blurring, loss of definition);
• the appearance of asymmetry (when drawing a line through the conditional means of the formation, two equal halves cannot be obtained);
• intensive growth;
• bleeding or ulceration (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 center).

The appearance of such signs does not necessarily mean papilloma degeneration, but that it is necessary to consult a doctor and make a differential diagnosis, finding out if we are talking about a common inflamed spot or skin cancer.

How to get rid of papillomas on the neck

The treatment of papillomas in the neck is performed only in a complex way, with simultaneous effect on the pathological focus on the skin and on the pathogen itself in the blood.

There are several ways to fight:

Method	Description
Medication	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 on the neck and other parts of the body. These methods allow you to restore the aesthetic appearance of open areas and remove the viral reservoir - the skin's own neoplasms, but do not completely remove the virus from the body.
Combination therapy	Combines the two previous options and is therefore the most effective.

Treating papillomas with folk remedies (celandine juice, for example) is ineffective and often dangerous; in any case, a prerequisite is to consult a doctor.

Physical methods of destruction

It is possible to effectively reduce formations using the following physical methods:

Method	Description
Local action with concentrated acid solutions	1. 5% solution of zinc chloropropionate in 50% 2-chloropropionic acid, a combination of nitric, acetic, oxalic, lactic and copper nitrate acids, etc. they're used. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis by a specialist (dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist) in accordance 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 happens, the new application must be stopped immediately). For a complete cure of the papilloma, on average, you need to do 1-2 treatments.
Electrocoagulation	Using a special electric knife, a single excision of the formations is performed without affecting the underlying tissues (there is minimal effect on healthy skin cells). The method is most convenient when the formation has a long shank and small size.
Cry-destruction	The focus is exposed to liquid nitrogen, ultra low temperature leads to tissue necrosis. It is good to clean up this form of teaching on a broad basis. The nitrogen action time is selected by a specialist (1-5 minutes). After moxibustion, a burn forms that heals for an average of 10 days.
Laser removal	The most modern and delicate approach to removing growth in prominent places like the neck. It has the most positive reviews. With the help of a light guide from 5 seconds to 3 minutes in continuous mode, they act on 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 (excision with scalpel)	Used extremely rarely, only in large lesions or with suspected malignancy. The reason is that the lesions are often multiple, spread around the neck and too small for excision, in addition, after surgical excision, scars may remain, which in themselves create a cosmetic defect.