Genital Warts - Sexually Transmitted Diseases

GENITAL WARTS

Genital warts may be caused by human papillomavirus (condyloma acuminatum) or Treponema pallidum (condyloma latum). There are over 70 genotypes of human papillo-mavirus (HPV), of which types 6, 11, 16, 18, and 32 are the predominant causes of genital warts. In women, HPV types 16, 18, and 31 are usually associated with flat or subclinical warts and are the viral types that may be associated with cervical dysplasias, carcinoma in situ, and invasive cervical cancer. Condylomata lata are painless mucosal warty erosions that develop in warm, moist sites such as the genitals and perineum in about one third of cases of secondary syphilis. Darkfield examinations are invariably positive as are both non-treponemal and treponemal serologic tests.