genital warts
Clinicopathology and immunohistochemistry of genital warts.

Sehgal VN, Koranne RV, Srivastava SB, Gupta MM, Luthra UK.

Department of Dermatology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.

Genital warts are a fairly common sexually transmitted disease and often affect young, illiterate subjects of poor socioeconomic status in India. The mean incubation period was 2.4 months, and the duration varied from 10 days to 4 years. Hyperplastic sessile, verruca vulgaris-like, and flat variants of warts were seen in that sequence, with distinct clinical features. The epidermal and the dermal changes were largely identical; however, the flat type in the epidermal changes were inconspicuous. Koilocytosis was a pathognomonic feature in 28, whereas human papilloma virus (HPV) antigens were detected through peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique in 18 patients.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2853141&dopt=Abstract genital wart


genital warts
Condylomata acuminata (genital warts): patient demographics and treating physicians.

Fleischer AB Jr, Parrish CA, Glenn R, Feldman SR.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Center for Dermatology Research and Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA. afleisch wfubmc.edu

BACKGROUND: Condylomata acuminata (genital warts), caused by the human papillomavirus, are common and sexually transmitted. However, the use of healthcare services for condylomata has never been characterized from a national probability sample study. GOAL: To understand better the demographics of patients seen by physicians for this disorder. STUDY DESIGN: Data from office visits for warts, both condylomata and noncondylomatous types, were obtained from the 1994 to 1998 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. RESULTS: The age distribution of those treated for condylomata peaked in 20- to 39-year-olds, with more than 70% of patients in this age category. A younger and wider age distribution was seen in patients with noncondylomatous warts. Women accounted for 67% of the population seen for condylomata, whereas a more equal number of women and men were seen for noncondylomatous warts. Per capita healthcare use for condylomata was equal between blacks and whites, and whites had almost five times more per capita healthcare use than blacks for noncondylomatous warts. Obstetrician/gynecologists were the most commonly consulted physicians for condylomata. Per capita condylomata visits per physician were highest for obstetrician/gynecologists, dermatologists, and urologists, and lower for all other physicians. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in age distribution between condylomata and noncondylomatous visits likely results from differing modes of transmission and age at first sexual contact. Females are more likely than males to use health care for condylomata, which may be attributable to increased prevalence, differences in treatment efficacy, differences in the gender frequency of genital health screenings, or psychosocial causes. Healthcare use for condylomata appears equal between blacks and whites. Patients with condylomata acuminata were most often seen by obstetrician/gynecologists, whereas patients with noncondylomatous warts most often consulted dermatologists. The fact that per capita condylomata visits per physician were highest for obstetrician/gynecologists, dermatologists, and urologists may imply that specialists in these fields have expertise in treating these patients.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11677386&dopt=Abstract genital wart


genital warts
[Study of immunologic parameters in parenteral drug addicts (PDA) with condylomata acuminata]

[Article in Spanish]

Marzo Lopez MC, Aguilar Ligorit E, Ramirez Bosca A, Montolio Donate S, Soto Ferrando P, Castells Rodellas A.

Departamento de Dermatologia, Facultad de Medicina, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Valencia.

A study is made of the state of cell and humoral immunity in parenteral drug addicts both with and without genital warts. The results reveal alterations in the lymphocyte subpopulations, with a decrease in the T-helper/T-suppressor (T4+/T8+) ratio of both groups of patients. These alterations were more pronounced in those patients with genital warts (p less than 0.05). The alterations in humoral immunity, expressed as a hypergammaglobulinemia IgG and IgM, were similar in both groups. None of the immunological parameters were affected by the extension of the lesions, though the T4+/T8+ ratio was found to decrease with increasing length evolution of the lesions. It would be convenient to perform longitudinal studies of these preliminary data to evaluate the effect of human papilloma virus (HPV) on the immune system.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2904516&dopt=Abstract genital wart


genital warts
Treatment of anogenital warts in children with topical 0.05% podofilox gel and 5% imiquimod cream.

Moresi JM, Herbert CR, Cohen BA.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.

A retrospective analysis of 25 infants and young children with anogenital warts was performed by chart review and telephone interview. Fifteen of 17 patients treated with podofilox 0.5% gel and 6 of 8 patients treated with imiquimod 5% cream improved or cleared with therapy. Only one patient stopped treatment because of irritation. Our experience suggests that these agents can be used safely and effectively in young children. Controlled prospective studies should be undertaken to further evaluate the use of podofilox and imiquimod in the treatment of symptomatic anogenital warts in children.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11737696&dopt=Abstract genital wart


genital warts
Thymopentin treatment in genital warts of long duration.

Fransen L, Anthoons J, Hoogewijs G, Bolla K.

Department of Microbiology and Anatomopathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

The immunomodulatory effect of thymopentin as therapy in genital warts of long duration and the proliferative responses of the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells were investigated in this pilot study. The observations in 6 patients suggest that subcutaneous injections of thymopentin (50 mg) beneficially influence the systems of therapy-resistant genital warts. The small number of patients and controls used in the assessment of the proliferation responses allows only a descriptive analysis of the results, but definitive trends can be observed in the Con A- and PHA-induced proliferation tests. These clinical observations, the theoretical considerations, and the low rate of side effects of thymopentin reported also by other investigators all emphasize the importance of further well-controlled double-blind studies on the treatment of genital warts with thymopentin.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3052838&dopt=Abstract genital wart