Papilloma on the neck

Neck papilloma is one of the manifestations of an infectious disease caused by the human papillomavirus. Refers to benign skin formations.

Causes of papilloma on the neck

There is one etiological reason why papillomas start growing on the neck or in other areas 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 pathogenic agent, each of which is responsible for the appearance of a different clinical picture of the disease (papilloma, condyloma, warts - this concept is identical, different names are associated with the peculiarities of localization in a certain area).

The main routes of transmission are household-contact and genital (condyloma in the perianal area). The virus is only able to penetrate the skin if there is micro-damage or open wounds, in other cases it cannot pass through the skin barrier.

Pathogen information

1. Has a high prevalence rate, regardless of gender (however, this virus occurs more frequently in women than men), age or region (according to some reports, 2/3 of the planet is infected with this virus).
2. Contains double-stranded, twisted-ring DNA capable of integrating into the human genome.
3. Infection with several types of disease is associated with a high carcinogenic risk, especially in cases of permanent injury. Neck papilloma is caused by a non-oncogenic virus.
4. Viruses go through two main stages in the sharing process. In the first stage, in the episomal (free) form, and in the same period the main division of virus particles occurs. This phase is reversible (after treatment, long-term remission occurs). In the second integrative stage, the virus is implanted into the cell genome (the first step towards cell transformation and formation of malignant neoplasms). The first stage is temporary and passes relatively quickly, while the second stage is latent and describes the presence of a carrier.
5. The basal layer of the epidermis, where the virus replicates, is affected. In the remaining layers, pathogens may survive, but not divide. As long as the virus is in the germ layer, when it grows, the normal differentiation of cells in all layers in this area is disturbed, especially at the prickly heat layer level.
6. Has a tendency for a long-term asymptomatic course in the body (from several months to a year). It is rarely possible to identify a specific moment of infection - this is the reason why treatment is started during a period of intense clinical manifestations, and not at the first cryptic signs.
7. To prevent infection, bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines are used, which are very effective against the most oncogenic strains 16 and 18.

Predisposing factors

1. Lack of cleanliness. Since the virus is able to maintain vital activity in the outside environment for a long time, it is necessary to pay close attention to personal hygiene rules when visiting public areas (swimming pools, baths, gyms).
2. Traumatic injury to the skin. For the virus to penetrate, micro cracks or scratches in the skin (for example from rubbing the neck with a shirt collar) are sufficient.
3. Impaired immune system function. With immunodeficiency of any genesis, favorable conditions arise for the development of any infection. For example, frequent colds and infectious diseases cause a weakened immune system and the appearance of papillomas on the skin.
4. Infection itself when scratching the skin.
5. Systematic lifestyle disorders (stress, lack of physical activity, improper diet). These factors affect the work of all metabolic processes in the body and cause a decrease in the function of the skin barrier.
6. Environmental factors that affect decreased body defenses (hypothermia, excessive exposure to ultraviolet light).

External manifestations of disease

The cervical papilloma on the photo looks like this:

1. The growths most often lie on a broad base and protrude significantly above the surface of the skin. Less often, the base of the papilloma is represented by thin legs (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 flat and clear.
3. The color is no different from the surrounding skin. In rare cases, it can be somewhat paler or darker than adjacent tissue.
4. The surface is often flat, smooth. Sometimes a growth may occur on the top of the papilloma, which streaks its surface.
5. Diameter varies widely - from 1-3 mm to several centimeters (papillomas with a small diameter are more common).
6. Location on any neck area (back, front side). Sometimes faces are involved.

Typically, there are multiple lesions located along the skin folds.

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

Signs that may indicate a malignant transformation are as follows:

• color change and heterogeneity (polymorphism);
• boundary change (blurred, lost definition);
• appearance of asymmetry (when drawing a line through the conditional middle of the formation, two equal parts cannot be obtained);
• intensive growth;
• bleeding or ulceration (nonspecific symptom, because this is also characteristic of simple injury to the neoplasm);
• itching, burning, peeling;
• dashed into shape (a little princess formation around the middle).

The appearance of these signs does not necessarily mean papilloma degeneration, but it does mean that you need to consult a doctor and undergo a differential diagnosis, finding out if we are talking about the common inflamed mole or skin cancer.

How to get rid of papilloma on the neck

Treatment of papillomas on the neck is carried out only in a complex way with a 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
Medicine	Using cytostatics, immunomodulators are designed to suppress the replication of viral agents in the affected area and reduce their concentration in the blood. Some drugs (keratolytics) are applied directly to destroy skin growths (burn and cause tissue necrosis).
Physical Method	Cryodestruction, laser therapy, electrocoagulation. They aim to remove papillomas on the neck and other parts of the body. This method allows you to restore the aesthetic appearance of the open area and remove the viral reservoir - the neoplasm of the skin itself, but does not completely remove the virus from the body.
Combination therapy	Combines the previous two options and is therefore most effective.

Treating papilloma with home remedies (celandine juice, for example) is ineffective and often dangerous, however, the prerequisite is to consult a doctor.

Physical method of destruction

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

Method	Description
Local action with concentrated acid solutions	1. 5% zinc chloropropionic solution in 50% 2-chloropropionic acid, a combination of nitric, acetic, oxalic acid, lactic acid and copper nitrate trihydrate, etc. Used. This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis by a specialist (dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist) according to the surgical rules. . . The agent is applied in the direction of the spatula until the color of the formation changes to a lighter color (as soon as this occurs, subsequent applications should be stopped immediately). For a complete cure for papilloma, on average you need to do 1-2 treatments.
Electrocoagulation	Using a special electric knife, excision of the formation point is carried out without affecting the underlying tissue (there is minimal effect on healthy skin cells). The easiest way is if the formation has a long stem and a small size.
Cryodestruction	Focus is exposed to liquid nitrogen, very low temperature causes tissue necrosis. It is better to clean this way of education on a broad basis. Nitrogen working time is chosen by a specialist (1-5 minutes). After moxibustion, burns were formed, which healed in an average of 10 days.
Laser Removal	The modern and most complex approach to removing growths in prominent places like the neck. Has the most positive reviews. Using light guides from 5 seconds to 3 minutes in continuous mode, affects focus. The healing period is much shorter compared to other methods (5-7 days). This technique is associated with minimal trauma to the surrounding tissue due to the high precision of the action.
Classic surgical removal (excision with scalpel)	Very rarely used, 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, in addition, after surgical excision, scars may remain, which in themselves creates a cosmetic defect.