Have you been suffering from small, round swellings on your lips, tongue, palate, mouth, throat or sexual organ? There is a strong chance that you are having Condyloma. Go ahead and read all about Condyloma, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
What Is Condyloma?
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Condyloma the medical term for a condition known more popularly as Genital Wart Infection. This is a sexually transmitted disorder (STD) and mainly affects older teenagers and young adults. It is known to be the most common STD in the US and has shown a four-fold jump in the last two decades.
Who Gets Condyloma?
Condyloma affects both men and women. It is seen in people belonging to the 17-33 age group but is more prevalent in individuals aged between 20 and 24. Condyloma is not seen in kids. A child having genital warts is possibly a victim of sexual abuse.
Symptoms of Condyloma
Condyloma is usually characterized by the appearance of warts or swollen rashes on the body surface. The warts are usually small, elevated and are pinkish in appearance. Some people may also have grayish bumps on their body.
Genital bumps of Condyloma in men are usually hidden from view due to pubic hair around the foreskin. These are soft, elevated and tender to touch. These are generally grouped together and are dark in color. The lesions typically develop around the urethra, scrotum, rectal and penis region.
Warts of Condyloma in women appear around the vaginal aperture and Labia Minora. The lesions can arise on the external parts of the body or may appear within the vaginal canal, cervix or anorectal area. Women can also suffer from vaginal bleeding during copulation. There may also be some rare symptoms like increased vaginal discharge, itching around the private organ or dampness in the area having lesions.
When Condyloma warts occur inside the body, there are rarely any external symptoms. However, people with Condyloma warts arising internally in a body area may experience symptoms like heightened sensitivity in the region, itching and also burning feeling.
Condyloma Causes
Condyloma can be caused by a number of factors like :
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Infection
A number of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections can act as Condyloma causes. Over 70 forms of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are known to exist. Several kinds of these can cause Condyloma. These can affect various parts of the body such as vagina, urethra, vulva, penis, larynx and the anus.
Multiple Sexual Partners
Some people can be at greater risk from this disease than others. People who have more than one sexual partner are at greater risk of developing this condition as it is difficult to say which partner suffers a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). Men and women who turn sexually active from an early age can also contract this disorder.
Other Conditions
People suffering from too much stress, viral infections or compromised immunity are also highly susceptible to this disease. Those using too much alcohol or tobacco are also at high risk from Condyloma.
Condyloma Testing
Condyloma diagnosis usually begins with a physical examination of the genitals. This is usually enough to reveal genital warts in men. Penile warts are usually white or flesh-colored. These may be flat or elevated in appearance and can appear as a single lesion or as multiple lesions.
A Pelvic Examination in women reveals Condyloma rashes on the cervix or the vaginal walls. Colposcopy is needed to see very small lesions in magnified view. In some cases, dilute vinegar (acetic acid) may be applied over cervical or vaginal tissues to make warts visible.
A Pap Smear Test is effective in showing changes resulting from HPV infection. Women with HPV infection need frequent Pap Smear exams over a period of time to reveal these alterations.
In some cases, HPV infection can give rise to Cervical Cancer in sufferers. A Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) DNA Test can help in the identification of such a complicated case. This test is usually carried out in women above 30 years of age and exhibiting slight abnormalities in Pap Test result.
Condyloma Differential Diagnosis
The differential diagnosis for Condyloma involves distinguishing the disease from conditions like Psoriasis that produces similar symptoms.
Condyloma Treatment
Treatment for Condyloma usually begins with physical observation of the genital warts. It is advisable that you refrain from using any over-the-counter medications for cure unless your doctor suggests one to you. The doctor may himself use a topical medicine like Podophyllin, Imiquimod (Aldara), Podofilox (Condylox) and Trichloroacetic acid (TCA).
In complicated cases involving pregnancy, doctors may skip using topical medicines. Topical application of drugs may be unsafe for the health of pregnant women as well as their unborn infants. In such cases, surgical techniques may be used. This involves methods like
Cryotherapy
This process involves using extremely low temperatures, usually liquid nitrogen, to destroy genital warts.
Laser Therapy
The warts are subjected to laser rays and removed effortlessly. This is a painless way of Condyloma removal.
Electrocauterization
A chemical agent or device is used to curdle or destroy the tissues beneath the warts thus ensuring their removal.
Surgical Removal
This involves direct Condyloma ablation with the aid of Condyloma surgery. The surgical Condyloma excision involves use of local anesthesia.
Condyloma Pictures
Want to know how Condyloma warts look like? Here are some useful Condyloma photos. Check out these Condyloma images and get an idea about the main external symptoms of this disease.
Picture 1 – Condyloma
Source – uptodate
Condyloma Incubation Period
The incubation period for Condyloma is typically within one to eight months. However, longer periods of incubation have also been reported as the condition may remain dormant for years.
Condyloma Prognosis
Condyloma Progonosis is slightly unpredictable. In some cases, HPV infection goes away naturally. In a few cases, individuals treated for Condyloma may still pass on HPV virus to their present or future sexual partners.
Condyloma Risk Factors
In rare cases, there are some types of Condyloma warts that can give rise to Vulva Cancer or Cervical Cancer in women.
If you note warts around your partner’s or your own genital region, get in touch with a doctor immediately. Timely medical assistance will help in quicker diagnosis and a faster treatment of this discomforting health condition and help you enjoy life to the fullest.
References:
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/c/condyloma/intro.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-condyloma.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/genital-warts-symptoms.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condyloma
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001889/
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/781735-overview
https://health.google.com/health/ref/Genital+warts
