Dr. Michael Tirgan, MD - New York City

Skin Growth Removal / Skin Tumor Treatment; One Patient at a Time.

genital Warts and HPV

Genital warts result from infection of the anal / genital area with the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV).  Viral transmission is by way of sexual contact.  These warts are often seen in anal area.  Genital warts can cause itching, pain in the area of involvement. They also have a major negative impact on the sexual health of the individual.  Quite often, individuals who have genital warts, avoid sex from fear of being questioned by their partner.  Genital warts are contagious.

Treatments for warts:

Cryotherapy is by far the most effective treatment and most commonly used method for treatment od genital warts. With Cryotherapy, the tissue that makes up the wart is destroyed.  Over next several days after treatment, the treated warts will disintegrate and gradually separate form the skin.  All genital warts, regardless of their location, can be safely and effectively be treated with cryotherapy. Skin will remain intact at all times with this treatment eliminating the risk of infection or any other complications.  Most warts usually disappear after one treatment, however, some warts may require more than one treatment.

Although warts  respond to cryotherapy, they can recur in future in the same or in a different location.  This is due to the HPV viral origins of this condition.  Although the wart tissue can be destroyed, the virus cannot, and this may result in formation of warts in the same or adjacent location.

For patients who have recurrent warts, or when the recurrence is very frequent, I use immune modulating therapies, so that the immune system is stimulated to fight against the HPV virus.  Using series of BCG vaccines, PPD injections as well as injections with Candida antigen, we can stimulate an immune reaction that may induce a remission in the hard to treat warts.   Several clinical trials  have proven that stimulating the immune system can induce remission in the warts. 

Immunotherapy employs the ability of the immune system to recognize certain viral and fungal antigens and thereafter to fight HPV warts.  PPD which is a test for tuberculosis or Candida skin test antigen generally is used. It is believed that the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction induced by these antigens increases the ability of the immune system to recognize and clear HPV warts. Complete clearance rates of up to 70 percent for Candida immunotherapy have been observed. The most common side effects from skin injections are itching at the injection site.

In rare instances where the disease is resistant to these treatments, warts can be injected with bleomycin, which is a cancer chemotherapy drug.

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Copyright © 2011 Michael H. Tirgan, M.D., all rights reserved.