Papillomas on the neck

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

Causes of papillomas on the neck

There is one etiological reason why papillomas begin to grow on the neck or in 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 pathogenic agent, 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 localization in a particular area).

The main routes of transmission are contact-household and genital (condylomas of the perianal region). The virus is able to penetrate the skin only in the presence of microdamages or open wounds, in other cases it is not able to pass the protective barrier of the skin.

Pathogen information

1. It has a high degree of spread regardless of gender (however, it manifests itself in women more often than in men), age or region (according to some sources, 2/3 of the planet is infected with this virus).
2. Contains double-stranded, 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 injury. Neck papillomas are caused by non-oncogenic strains of the virus.
4. A virus goes through two main stages in the division process. At the first stage, it is in episomal (free) form, and in the same period, the main division of the viral particle occurs. This phase is reversible (after treatment, a long-term remission occurs). At the second - integrative - stage, the virus is implanted into the genome of the cell (the first step towards the transformation of cells 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. Provided that the virus is in the germ layer, as it grows, the normal differentiation of cells in all layers of this area is disrupted, especially at the level of the prickly layer.
6. Has a tendency to long-term asymptomatic carriage 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 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. Since 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, bathhouse, gym).
2. Traumatic injuries of the skin. Micro cracks or scratches on the skin (for example, caused by rubbing the neck with the collar of a shirt) are enough for the virus to penetrate.
3. Impaired immune system function. With immunodeficiencies of any genesis, favorable conditions arise for the development of any infections. For example, frequent colds and infectious diseases lead to a weakening of the immune system and the appearance of papillomas on the skin.
4. Self-infection during skin scratching.
5. Systematic lifestyle disorder (stress, lack of physical activity, improper diet). These factors affect the work of all metabolic processes in the body and lead to a decrease in the barrier function of the skin.
6. Environmental factors affecting the decrease in the body's defenses (hypothermia, excessive ultraviolet exposure).

External manifestations of the disease

Cervical papillomas in the photo look like this:

1. The growth is most often located on a wide base and protrudes significantly above the skin surface. Less commonly, the base of the papilloma is represented by a thin leg (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 even and clear.
3. The color does not differ from the surrounding skin. In rare cases, it can be somewhat paler or darker than the adjacent tissues.
4. The surface is often even, smooth. Sometimes growths are possible at the top of the papilloma, which makes its surface ribbed.
5. Diameter varies widely - from 1-3 mm to several centimeters (papillomas of small diameter are more common).
6. Location on 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 on 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.

Signs that may indicate a malignant transformation are the following:

• color change and heterogeneity (polymorphism);
• border change (blurring, loss of definition);
• the appearance of asymmetry (when drawing a line through the conditional middle of the formation, you cannot get two equal halves);
• intensive growth;
• bleeding or ulceration (a nonspecific symptom, since it is also characteristic of a simple injury to the neoplasm);
• itching, burning, peeling;
• dropouts are formed (small daughter formations around the central one).

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

How to get rid of papillomas on the neck

Treatment of papillomas on the neck is carried out only in a complex manner 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
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 the skin growth (cauterize and cause tissue necrosis).
Physical Methods	Cryodestruction, laser therapy, electrocoagulation. Aim to get rid of papillomas both 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 neoplasms itself, but they 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 home remedies (celandine juice, for example) is ineffective and often dangerous, in any case, a prerequisite is consultation with a doctor.

Physical methods of destruction

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

Method	Description
Local action with solutions of concentrated acids	A 1. 5% solution of zinc chloropropionate in 50% 2-chloropropionic acid, a combination of nitric, acetic, oxalic, lactic acids and copper nitrate trihydrate, etc. are used. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis by a specialist (dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist) in compliance with surgical rules. . . The agent is applied pointwise with a spatula until the color of the formation changes to a lighter color (as soon as this has happened, further application should be stopped immediately). For a complete cure of papilloma, on average, you need to do 1-2 treatments.
Electrocoagulation	Using a special electric knife, a point excision of the formations is performed without affecting the underlying tissues (there is a minimal effect on healthy skin cells). The method is most convenient when the formation has a long stem and small size.
Cryodestruction	The focus is exposed to liquid nitrogen, ultra-low temperature leads to tissue necrosis. It is good to clean this way of education with a wide base. The nitrogen action time is selected by a specialist (1-5 minutes). After moxibustion, a burn forms, which heals over an average of 10 days.
Laser Removal	The most modern and most delicate approach to remove growths in prominent places such as the neck. Has the most positive reviews. Using a light guide from 5 sec to 3 min in a continuous mode, influence 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.
Classic surgical removal (excision with a scalpel)	Used extremely rarely, only with large lesions or with suspicion of 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 create a cosmetic defect.