Treatment of Human Papilloma Virus:

Common warts on the skin may be treated by freezing (cryosurgery) or salicylic acid products (Occlusal, TransVer-Sal, Duofilm, and Viranol). Recurrences are frequent and laser therapy may be effective in severe cases.

Genital warts often occur in clusters and can accumulate into large masses on genital tissues. They often reappear after treatment. Depending on factors such as their size and location, genital warts are treated in several ways:

• The physician may recommend treatment with a chemical such as 25 percent podophyllin solution, which is applied to the affected area and washed off after several hours. Podophyllin should not be used during pregnancy because it is absorbed by the skin and may cause birth defects.
• Small warts can be removed by freezing (with liquid nitrogen) or burning (electrodesiccation). Imiquimod, a 5 percent cream that is an interferon inducer, has moderate activity in clearing external genital warts.
• Surgery is occasionally needed to remove large warts that have not responded to other treatment. Doctors at some medical centers also use laser surgery to remove genital warts.
• Cervical infection and cellular changes may require colposcopy, a painless examination during which a lighted magnifying instrument is used to view the internal reproductive organs in women.
• In some cases, it is necessary to do a biopsy of cervical tissue. This involves taking a small sample of tissue from the cervix and examining it under the microscope. Depending on the nature of the cervical lesion, cauterization, freezing (cryosurgery), laser, or surgery may be necessary.