Bowenoid papulosis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the human papillomavirus, which manifests itself as plaques and papules. They affect the skin of the genitals, perineum and thighs. Such rashes are the first signs of the disease. Bowenoid papulosis is a dangerous disease because it indicates a precancerous condition of the skin. It was originally considered a variant of Bowen's disease, but with pronounced pigmentation. It later turned out that the disease is associated with the papilloma virus. Carriers are men and women aged 17-40 years. Venereologists claim that the disease also manifests itself in children if the mother was ill during pregnancy.
Bowenoid papulosis is a rare disease, but due to the increase in promiscuity, the number of people becoming infected is increasing. In rare cases, the disease occurs due to hormonal imbalance or problems with the immune system.
Why is bowenoid papulosis dangerous?
Bowenoid papulosis
Bowenoid papulosis is regarded by experts as a precancerous condition. During diagnostic measures, a clinical picture emerges, which is based on a series of tests and histological examination. It is mandatory to identify the papilloma virus and serological reactions to syphilis.
Therapeutic therapy for bovinoid papulosis has an integrated approach and consists of antiviral treatment with simultaneous removal of various painful elements from the skin. Both traditional medications and the latest hardware treatment methods are used.
Initially, it was believed that bowenoid papulosis was a form of Bowen's disease, but soon medical scientists proved that the cause of the disease is the papilloma virus and this connection is obvious. Bowenoid papulosis or Bowen's disease occurs as often in men as in women, especially in those aged 18 to 40 years.
There have been cases where the disease was noticed in newborns or children at an early age. In this case, the cause of bowenoid papulosis is the mother’s body infected with a virus, which passed on such a terrible “inheritance” to the child.
Bowenoid papulosis
Important! Modern society has made bowenoid papulosis quite popular, although just a few decades ago it was considered a rare disease. This is certainly due to the decline of morals and promiscuity of sexual relations.
Causes of bowenoid papulosis
The etiology of the bowenoid type of disease is associated with HPV (human papillomavirus). It is also the cause of the appearance of various types of warts and condylomas on the skin. Through numerous studies, individual cases have been identified where, while a patient has bowenoid papulosis, other types of HPV were simultaneously present in his body.
Like other sexually transmitted diseases, this disease is transmitted from partner to partner during sexual intercourse. As with gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, the incubation period usually varies in duration, it can last from one and a half weeks to three months.
Sometimes the bovinoid papulosis virus can “sit” in a person for several years and not make itself felt, and only in the presence of favorable factors does the disease begin to manifest itself in the form of cutaneous elements.
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Among the reasons that contribute to infection with bowenoid papulosis are:
- Hormonal imbalance;
- Weakening of the immune system;
- Frequent change of sexual partners.
Other types of epidermal lesions:
- Lymphomatoid benign type, is a rash on the skin in the form of scars, crusts, erosions, spots. This is a type of lymphoid tumor with slow growth, caused by atypical lymphoid cells that can, over time, degenerate and become malignant.
- Piezogenic papules of the heels and feet are tissue hernias; their development is caused by the bulging of fat tissue into the subcutaneous structures. This process develops from strong pressure on the heels and feet. The reasons are: heredity, excess weight, rheumatism of the heart, severe static tension in the legs of professional athletes.
- Fibrous polyps in the nose - refers to inflammatory hyperplasia of the sinuses and nasal mucosa. Often found in people suffering from allergies and other chronic ENT diseases. If the disease on the face is in an advanced stage, it may be mistaken for fibroids.
- Erythematous blistering lesions are not associated with HPV but are very similar in appearance. This is a disease from the field of dermatology.
Formation of growths in women
The causes of papillomas in women can be:
- weakened immune system
- menstrual irregularities
- frequent use of contraceptives
- pregnancy
The appearance of these growths is also influenced by:
- stress, depression
- congenital predisposition
Against the background of these reasons, the activity of the virus increases. There is a decrease in immunity and poor health appears. At this moment, the production of hormones increases and papilloma actively grows throughout the body.
For a pregnant woman, type 16 genital wart virus is especially dangerous. There is a possible risk of infection of the child while moving through the birth canal. When a baby inhales, the HPV virus enters the respiratory tract, which can lead to infection of the trachea, bronchi and larynx with papillomatosis. In order for the child to be born healthy, young mothers are recommended to give birth by Caesarean section.
The main symptoms of bowenoid papulosis
Pink pigments
Typically, the manifestation of bowenoid papulosis begins with red spots on the skin, pigmented or lichenoid elements, as well as plaques resembling leukoplakia.
All these polygonal manifestations can be represented in the plural and singular. Their size is usually no larger than a small pea, only 3-3.5 centimeters. The person does not feel any pain, although sometimes itching may occur. Only in the case of an inflammatory process do sensations of a subjective nature appear.
Papules can have different colors: violet, purple, brown, yellowish. Their consistency is smooth or warty thickenings. Speaking about lichenoid representatives, it should be said that local, strongly thickened and rough areas of skin are observed here. Often in such places, serous crusts are visible in color, no different from normal skin.
Papules
Sometimes you can see how the elements merge to form plaques. Milky white or grayish leukoplakia-like plaques do not have a clear distinction, since their color is very different from healthy areas of the skin.
Locations of symptoms:
Bowenoid papulosis around the anus
Considering the typical signs of bowenoid papulosis in men and women, we can safely say that the most common places where pathological elements appear are the genitals: in men - the penis, in women - the clitoris and labia. Other localization sites are not excluded, such as the thighs, anus, perineum, mucous membranes of the oral cavity and pharynx.- In men, lichenoid papules appear on the head of the penis, while on the penis itself, as well as on the vulva and anus of women, the elements are of the pigmented type.
- It is not excluded that in both sexes the simultaneous appearance of warts and genital warts with bowenoid papulosis, and in women - dysplasia in the cervix.
Photo of bowenoid papulosis
Possible complications with bowenoid papulosis
Possible complication
As already noted, benignoid papulosis is a precancerous condition of the skin, so you should always be afraid of its transition to squamous cell skin cancer. Often, with incompetent treatment or ignoring the disease, patients developed such terrible pathologies as oncology of the penis, vulvar cancer, Bowen's disease.
That is why every patient with bowenoid papulosis must be regularly examined by a venereologist and must be registered at a venereological dispensary.
Important! Bowenoid papulosis can be treated for quite a long time, progressing at times, then entering a state of remission. There were cases when the disease disappeared by itself, but these are exceptional and extremely rare cases, which cannot be hoped for, and to argue that “this is how it will happen to me” means making a big mistake.
Clinical manifestations and symptoms
The disease affects the mucous membranes or skin, resulting in the formation of a small pale red spot with blurred boundaries. After a certain period of time (everyone is different), the neoplasm turns into a plaque, colored yellow-red. Its surface is covered with small scales that easily fall off, leaving behind a slightly moist wound without signs of injury (no bleeding, pain, etc.).
As this plaque develops, the surface of the formation becomes more and more heterogeneous. It clearly shows warty growths, atrophic changes and hyperkeratosis. The lesion grows in different directions, and the boundaries begin to gradually rise above the skin. At the very beginning, the diameter ranges from 2-3 mm, after which it can reach 5-6 cm.
By the time of degeneration from a precancerous state into a malignant tumor, numerous small ulcers appear on the surface of the plaque. In this case, there is only one lesion, but depending on the severity of the disease, new ones may appear, which will subsequently merge with the main one into a single whole.
If Bowen's cancer appears on the mucous membrane or eyelids, it will look like papilloma (single and slightly inward plaques). Formation near the nail plates is fraught with destruction of the stratum corneum to the very end. These are the characteristic symptoms that make it possible to clearly identify the disease.
Diagnostic measures
Several options are possible here: either the patient himself discovers strange heels or elements and is referred to a dermatologist or therapist, or during an examination by a gynecologist, signs of bowenoid papulosis are revealed, and then the doctor redirects the patient to a more specialized specialist, that is, a venereologist.
Once in the hands of a competent specialist, the patient undergoes the necessary tests and clinical studies:
Cytological
PCR examination is a diagnostic test that is a necessary measure for identifying the papilloma virus. To do this, a scraping is made from the diseased area, a smear from the genital organ, and the patient’s blood, to exclude other venereological diseases.- Cytological and histological measures make it possible to identify the cause of the accumulation of epithelial cells, that is, the presence of koilocytosis; atypical cells are identified, including those with double nuclei. They are randomly scattered throughout the epidermis, while Bowen's disease is characterized by their compact grouped presence. This is one of the features of bowenoid papulosis.
- In order to diagnose an infectious lesion at the molecular level, the chain reaction method is used. Several results of past tests are summarized, and thus an incorrect diagnosis is excluded. For such experiments, a very small number of tissue cells is sufficient.
- Differential diagnosis of papules on the skin in adults is carried out with diseases such as syphilis, as well as psoriasis, lichen, warts and condylomas.
- Duplex scanning of affected areas of the body.
Duplex scanning
How is the disease determined?
Several methods are used to make a diagnosis. Firstly, this is, of course, an inspection. If the urologist shows that there is reason to suspect the presence of bowenoid papulosis, a referral to a venereologist is issued.
The latter conducts analyzes that either refute or confirm this assumption:
These laboratory tests will accurately determine whether the virus is present. Research is also being conducted to prove that these are not manifestations of other diseases, for example, that it is not syphilis.
The information provided by the patient about the lifestyle he led and what he observed recently in the body is something whose significance should not be diminished.
Therapeutic methods in the fight against bowenoid papulosis
If bowenoid papulosis is not treated, the disease can eventually become malignant. You should not self-medicate - this will lead to extremely negative consequences.
Complex qualified treatment consists of several stages:
- Fluorouracil
Removal of rashes, elements and seals. There are quite a few methods: surgical method, freezing, electrocoagulation, laser excision of papules. - Application of drugs such as prospidium chloride and fluorouracil to the affected areas. The affected areas of the skin are injected with interferon.
- General and local antiviral treatment is mandatory for bovednoid papulosis.
- To increase immunity, the patient is prescribed vitamins and minerals.
- As an additional therapy, aromatic retinols can be used.
If the treatment process begins on time, you can hope for a successful recovery. With late treatment, even the use of several treatment methods cannot guarantee the complete elimination of relapses of bowenoid papulosis.
Treatment
If the disease is detected, they begin to fight. Moreover, both partners undergo treatment. Today there are many methods that eliminate not only the manifestations of the disease, but also fight the virus in the body.
Papules will eliminate:
- cryodestruction;
- laser therapy;
- surgical removal.
Local injections of interferon, cytostatic ointments, as well as other means approved and recommended by the doctor will help to cope with the virus in the body, as well as with formations. Complex antiviral therapy is being carried out, and if the doctor did not offer it, limiting himself to only removing the papules, this is a reason to be wary.
However, even competent treatment does not protect against relapses. But the point here is that it is not yet possible to completely get rid of HPV. What can we say about insuring the body from new infections. Therefore, it is better to prevent the initial appearance of this harmful virus.
Preventive measures to avoid bowenoid papulosis
You can try to minimize all risks by following the following rules of conduct:
- Personal hygiene – its observance – should become the norm for everyone. You should be wary of using other people's washcloths, underwear, and towels.
- Only consistency in sexual relations can guarantee you healthy and safe sex.
- You should use condoms if you don't know your partner well.
- Maintain the protective properties of the body - increase immunity.
- Checking your health with a doctor every six months will ensure that the disease has not begun to progress.
- Activity, sports, healthy eating, good rest - the path to a stable and permanent relationship.
- Eliminate bad habits from your life: alcohol, smoking, drugs, they are the ones that provoke actions that we often regret later.
- Any humid environment can provoke the development of this disease; do not overuse baths, saunas and swimming pools.
The dogmas and postulates given above should become unchangeable habits for every person, then bowenoid papulosis will bypass you.
Prevention
To prevent infection during sex, condoms that meet European standards are used.
The product must be stored under the following conditions:
- at a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees Celsius;
- in dryness;
- In the dark;
- no longer than the expiration date.
We should not forget that condoms were stored in a store or pharmacy, and before that they were transported and stored in a warehouse. If at least somewhere the storage conditions were violated, the product could deteriorate.
Therefore, it is better to purchase a condom from top-level pharmacies. Of course, you can’t save on this and you need to take only the best. If the counter is exposed to direct sunlight, these condoms cannot be taken for sure.
Annual examinations with a urologist will also help you avoid illness. If there is any suspicion, the patient will be referred for diagnostics. If you do not undergo examinations, you may not notice the disease when it is still at an early stage and is easier to treat.
And don’t forget about a healthy lifestyle, as well as a calm and positive attitude that will help you avoid stress. Forming such an attitude will help you avoid diseases and prolong your life. Of course, you need healthy sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and hygiene.
Conclusion
Bowenoid papulosis is a disease that should be treated immediately by a doctor. If left untreated, this disease can have serious consequences. To avoid these, treatment must be prompt and professional.
