Papillomavirus diseases

Abstract

Papillomaviruses are prevalent throughout the world. They can cause warts or papillomas. Some papillomaviruses are also involved in the pathogenesis of malignant tumors. Cutaneous and anogenital warts are the most frequent viral disease of the skin. The incidence of verrucae vulgaris and condylomata is estimated to be 7-10% in the European population and 1% in the American population. HPV infections can be verified by clinical examination, cytology and histology, detection of antibodies, molecular techniques and directly via viral structures. Antibodies against HPV are considered markers for prolonged infection and cumulatively high expression of viral particles since they persist with low titers years after a lesion has resolved. Sensitivity only reaches 50-60% even in HPV DNA-positive patients. Serodiagnosis does not appear to be appropriate for routine practice. No virustatic treatment exists. Depending on wart-specific factors, compliance of the patient, and experience of the attending therapist, all ablative, chemodestructive or novel immuno modulatory procedures are comparable. However, there are enormous differences in price and effort required for treatment, which should be considered when choosing the method.