If such a growth appears on the skin of a person, then he wonders what kinds of changes have occurred in the body, and are they not dangerous? Read on to learn useful information about the characteristics of the different types of papillomas. This information will help you to recognize the presence of such formations to deal with them in a timely manner if necessary.
Varieties of papillomas.
Why do these processes usually appear on the skin with age? These skin changes are caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV for short. After infection with such a pathogen, the patient develops a papillomatosis disease, during which warts of various forms appear on the skin or mucous membranes. These growths are benign, but some types of papillomas have a high risk of being reborn as a malignant tumor. For this reason, you should definitely visit a doctor if you notice such changes on your skin!
Medicine knows more than 40 varieties of papillomavirus, which cause various forms of the disease in humans. The type of virus that has entered the body depends on what the papilloma looks like, because the infection is manifested externally by different types of formations in the integument of the body. According to the general classification, the following types of growths are distinguished.
- Simple, which is also called vulgar - dark-colored keratinized growths.
- Plantar: affects the soles of the feet.
- Skin tags are threadlike formations, the body of which rests on one leg.
- Flat Formations or Common Warts: Often occurs in adolescents in the area of the hands, fingers, and face.
- Pointed: located on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, genitals or anus.
- Squamous cells: They consist of squamous epithelium, which has grown due to the effects of the virus, and the stroma (the base of connective tissue and blood vessels).
- Basal cell: grows from cells in the basal layer of the epidermis or hair follicles.
- Internal: they do not arise in the area of the visible external parts of the body, but where they are difficult to notice, for example, in the larynx or bladder.
Pointed
These growths are often called warts. Its characteristic features are the small size and the special shape: a wide base and a sharp point. These warts are flesh-colored or slightly pinkish and appear singly or in groups. They are distinguished by rapid growth - in just a few days, where there was only one growth, a whole group of them is formed. In shape, this family resembles a cauliflower inflorescence. Genital warts are often found on the mucous membranes: in the mouth, on the tongue, as well as in the genital area or near the anus.
Scaly
This form of skin growth caused by the HPV virus is one of the most common, as it can be very widespread throughout the body. What does such a papilloma look like? These are flat formations of round or oval shape, slightly protruding above the surface of the skin, no more than 1 mm, they can be smooth and with signs of keratinization. They often appear in groups, in color they practically do not differ from the surrounding cover.
Such growths occur mainly on the upper body: on the face (for example, on the nose or lip), the neck. They often appear on the mucous membranes: inside the mouth on the cheeks or tongue. Squamous cell tumors can be diagnosed in the esophagus, larynx, as well as the organs of the genitourinary system and even the rectum. People who have such formations are advised to remove them due to the high risk of degeneration into a malignant form.
Basal cell
These growths are often called basaliomas or senile warts because they often affect the skin of older people. These formations grow slowly from the basal layer of the epidermis (hence the name) or from the hair follicles, they appear on the surface of the skin in the form of pink to dark brown papillae. Areas of the body where basal cell carcinomas are common are the armpits, back, and lips and nose. Their distinguishing feature is that they never degenerate into cancerous tumors, which is why they are considered safe.
What papillomas look like in intimate places
When it comes to formations in the genital area, they refer to pointy formations. Papillomas of this type are overgrown cells in the upper layer of the epithelium, which resemble groups of small papillae. These growths can affect both sexes with equal frequency. They are located in the groin and directly on the surface of the genitals: in men, on the head of the penis or in the lumen of the urethra, in women, on the vaginal mucosa, the surface of the cervix and in the uterus itself . .
Manifestations of changes in the integument of the genital organs, which occur as a result of human infection with the HPV virus, require special attention from the patient. You need to consult a doctor and remove growths on the genitals, because with the transition of such an ailment to a chronic form, the risk of infertility and oncology greatly increases.
Photo: how papillomas look on the body
In order to accurately and clearly imagine what these formations are, it will be useful to look at the pictures of what such growths look like. See this selection of photos showing examples of different types of papillomas. Check with these photos the growths that you or your loved ones have, and you can determine in advance if these warts are subject to mandatory removal and avoid serious risks to your health.
