About Anal Warts
Learn More About Anal Warts
What are anal warts?
Anal warts (also called venereal warts or condylomata accuminata) are external symptoms of infection by the Human Papilloma virus (HPV). They may also affect the skin of the genital area. They are usually transmitted from person to person by direct skin contact.
Symptoms
Anal warts usually do not usually cause pain or discomfort. Because of this reason, many individuals with anal warts are not aware that they are present. In fact many people who are infected with HPV do not have any outward signs. When anal warts do appear, they can range in size from very small bumps to cauliflower like large lesions covering the entire area around the anus. Minor bleeding may also occasional result from anal sex or bowel movements.
Detection and Diagnosis
Anal warts are usually diagnosed by a careful inspection, sometimes by using a magnifying glass. Sometimes vinegar (acetic acid) is applied to the skin to cause infected tissue to turn white, and make them more easily identifiable.
Treatment
If warts are very small and are located only on the skin around the anus, they can be treated with medications, which are applied directly to the surface of the warts. This method usually requires several applications by a physician over several weeks.
Another form of treatment involves more rapid destruction of the warts using electrical cautery, surgical removal or a combination of the two. These procedures provide immediate results but must be performed using either a local anesthetic or a general or spinal anesthetic, depending on the number and exact location of warts being treated.
Warts inside the anal canal usually are not suitable for treatment by medications, and in most cases need to be treated by cauterization or surgical removal.
Unfortunately, warts tend to recur repeatedly after successful removal, since the virus that causes the warts often persists in a dormant state in body tissues. It is important to have a regular follow-up visits for some months to be certain that no more warts occur from viruses living in the cells of normal appearing skin.