Santa Cruz de Tenerife, August 19, 2020: Hospiten alerts the public to an increase in anal condylomas caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
This is a type of lesion classified as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and which show up in the form of warts in the genital area, on the skin around the anus or inside the rectum, in both men and women.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease, hence the importance of prevention and vaccination in men at risk up to 55 years of age, since in many cases the disease is asymptomatic and can cause premalignant and malignant lesions like AIN (anal intraepithelial neoplasia).
Anal condylomas, or warts, are the same type of lesion that cause cervical cancer and cause bleeding, itching and local discomfort, although they can often be asymptomatic.
As Dr. Francisco Alba Mesa, general and digestive tract surgeon at Hospiten Roca, explains, anal warts is an “serious, common disease, so if it is not addressed early on and is allowed to evolve, it can cause anal cancer in the long term", so he reminds the public that is "essential to consult specialists to treat the condition with complete confidence, to study each individual case and determine the most appropriate treatment".
Today, there are pharmacological and surgical treatments available, which are applied depending on the lesions, with the surgical approach using minimally invasive techniques, like "monopolar electrofulguration or Ligasure", being the most commonly administered, explains the Hospiten Roca surgeon.
He insists that these are lesions that may come and go or last a long time, so follow-up monitoring is needed.
However, thanks to scientific advances in recent years, a vaccine is now available that can prevent the disease, "just as it is used for cervical cancer".