Abstract
It was formerly axiomatic that all clinical types of wart were caused by the same virus, the morphology of a wart being conditioned only by the type of epidermis which this virus infected. This was the ‘unitary’ theory, which was formulated after a series of experimental transfers of warts from one part of the body to another had been performed in the early years of this century. According to the ‘unitary’ theory, genital warts were a special kind of skin wart, modified in appearance by the thinness of the genital epithelium and by the warm moist conditions prevailing in the area. Sexual contact was regarded as only one of many ways in which the wart virus could reach the genitals. Feelings ran high on the natural history of genital warts, and after Barrett, Silbar & McGinley (1954) suggested that they should be regarded as a venereal disease, one outraged physician went so far as to circularise 336 dermato-venereologists in various countries to ask whether this view was correct, and 94% answered‘no'. Recent advances have necessitated a revision of these opinions.
Published Version
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