Drug | Recommendation |
Enhances local immune response by stimulating the production of interferon and other cytokines. Local inflammatory reactions are common and range from mild to moderate. The patient should be so advised. Expense and duration of treatment are drawbacks to use. Some experts have recommended use in the treatment of anal intraepithelial neoplasia in HIV-positive men, but there have been no RCTs to test the efficacy of such treatment. | |
Resin is an antimitotic agent. Must apply a VERY THIN layer. Over-application or failure to dry the area can lead to local irritation. | |
Caustic agents destroy warts by chemical coagulation of proteins. These agents have low viscosity compared to water. Therefore, they can spread rapidly if applied excessively. Hence, use sparingly and with care. | |
Bevacizumab (Avastin) | The case series indicates that this cancer drug (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody) benefits the management of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. |
Recommendations as above. Having genital warts is not a contraindication to vaccination as prevention of infection with the other types in the vaccine is still possible. Also, studies suggest that the titers against vaccine types are higher and possibly more long-lived than those following natural infection. The impact of the vaccine on the natural history of infection in patients with type-specific infection is not known and likely limited. |
Comment: This updated document details the evidence in support of the cervical cancer screening guidelines summarized above.
Comment: This updated document details the evidence in support of the cervical cancer screening guidelines summarized above.
Comment: This 2016 report provides further detail regarding the revised HPV vaccine recommendations, including the use only of the 9vHPV vaccine.
Comment: NHANES data demonstrates how the introduction of HPV vaccination has lowered 4vHPV-type prevalence by 85% overall in 2015-2018, including 90% among vaccinated females and 74% among unvaccinated females, highlighting a herd immunity benefit
Comment: Landmark study was the first to show that, like cervical cancer, anal cancer can be prevented through precancerous lesions (HSIL) treatment.
Rating: Important
Comment: This updated guide to the primary care of HIV-infected persons now endorses screening HIV-infected persons with anal cytology to permit early detection of and precursors to anal cancer, provided access to appropriate referral and follow-up is available.
Comment: NHANES data demonstrate the way in which the introduction of HPV vaccination has lowered HPV prevalence by 81% (females aged 20-24y) and 88% (females aged 14-19y) compared with the pre-vaccine era
Comment: Explanation of the risk estimates supporting consensus guidelines established in 2019 by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology regarding the management of abnormal findings from cervical cancer screening. Source data include 1.5 million individuals screened through Kaiser Permanente from 2003-2017.
Comment: A small study in children demonstrated that imiquimod 5% + salicylic acid 15% was superior to cryotherapy in eradicating plantar warts at three months. There were no differences in eradication rates for common and plane warts between the two groups.
Comment: Observational long-term follow-up data obtained from women who received bivalent HPV vaccination showed no risk of miscarriage for pregnancies conceived less than 90 days from vaccination. Among pregnancies conceived at any time from bivalent HPV vaccination, exposure was not associated with an increased risk of miscarriage overall or in subgroups, except for miscarriages at weeks 13-20 (relative risk 1.35), suggesting a need for further study.
Comment: Placebo-controlled study of 31 adults with treatment-refractory facial flat warts showed a significant benefit of treatment with isotretinoin 30 mg/d for twelve weeks.
Comment: This randomized, double-blind study in 14,215 women showed the 9vHPV vaccine prevented cervical, vulvar, and vaginal disease and persistent infection associated with HPV-31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. Antibody responses to HPV-6, 11, 16, 18 were noninferior to those among participants who received the 4vHPV vaccine, and the incidence of disease related to HPV-6, 11, 16, and 18 was similar in the two vaccine groups.
Comment: Nice guideline document that lists the many therapeutics that have been utilized to manage cutaneous warts. Only salicylic acid gets an "A" recommendation, based in part upon studies referenced in the 2012 Cochrane review listed above.
Comment: ACOG guideline statement includes recommendations for cervical cancer screening and the management of abnormal findings. In average-risk women, beginning screening at age 21 is recommended. For women 30-65, screening with either (a) cytology every three years or (b) cytology + HPV DNA testing every five years is recommended.
Comment: This lengthy review of topical therapies for cutaneous warts finds that only salicylic acid is superior to placebo, despite the many previously pursued remedies.
Comment: This paper synthesizes and reviews head and neck cancer incidence and smoking prevalence over the past 70 years. Notably, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) has declined due to decreased smoking rates. However, certain HN cancers have not shown a similar decline, particularly among young adults < 45 years of age. These include cancer of the tongue and pharynx (including tonsils with a 4% increase per year over the past 30 years). This trend is thought to reflect the increase in HPV 16/18 associated cancers with the likely exposures via oral sex. Current recommendations for immunizing only females with the current HPV vaccine are noted, and note the need to study vaccine safety and efficacy in males.
Rating: ImportantImportantImportant
Comment: A prevalence study report from the National Cancer Institute NIH examines the prevalence of HPV among age-matched women enrolled in a large northwest U.S. HMO stratified by hysterectomy history (n=573 with hysterectomy [WH] and n=581 with no hysterectomy [WNH[). Routine pelvic examinations were conducted, ethanol-fixed Pap smears were collected (cuff smears collected on WH), and a vaginal lavage using 10 mL of normal saline was conducted. The washed sample was used for HPV testing. There was no significant difference in HPV infection status between the 2 groups [WH=86.2% HPV negative vs. WNH=84.0%] nor a difference in HPV genotype distribution among the 2 groups [WH=1.4% with HPV-16 vs. WNH=1.6% and WH=9.2% non-oncogenic types vs. WNH=9.5%] Notably, however, in the absence of a cervix, WH women are at lower risk of cancer in the presence of HPV-16 than those women with a cervix in place (WNH).
Rating: Important
Comment: This Merck Research Laboratories-funded study reports on data collected during its multicenter phase II/III RCTs (used to support their now licensed vaccine), examining the efficacy of prophylactic quadrivalent HPV 6/11/16/18 L1 VLP vaccine during up to 5 years of follow-up. 552 women (age 16-23 years) were enrolled in the trial from Brazil, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the USA; 276 entered the vaccination arm of the trial and 275 into the placebo arm. After vaccination on days 0, 2m, and 6 m, 256 women entered follow-up for months 7-36 and 260 similarly were followed in the placebo arm. After 3 years, the non-USA participants were eligible for further follow-up for 2 years. At the 5-year point, the overall incidence of infection with vaccine-containing genotypes was reduced 96% in the vaccine vs the placebo group. There was no vaccine genotype-related precancerous lesions or genital warts in the vaccinated group compared with 6 in the placebo arm (95% CI = 12-100%). The anti-HPV geometric mean titers in sera remained significantly higher among vaccinees than among women who became infected with one or more of the 4 vaccine genotypes during the follow-up period.
Rating: Important
Comment: Report of a study to determine the usefulness and limitations of anal pap smears in screening for anal squamous intraepithelial lesions (ASIL) among 198 of 200 consecutively liquid media-based collected smears. The findings from these slides were correlated with surgical biopsies. Subsequently, the authors examined the findings at 6 months -- follow-up testing (smears and biopsies)-- among men (n = 71) who returned for evaluation by their usual providers. Liquid-based anal smears had a high sensitivity (98%) for detecting ASIL but a low specificity (50%) for predicting the severity of the abnormality in the subsequent biopsy. Patients with cytologic diagnoses of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and low-grade SIL (LSIL) had a significant risk (46-56%) of HSIL at biopsy. These data suggest that 1) liquid collection media is more sensitive than slide Pap smear results reported in the literature and 2) all patients with a diagnosis of ASC-US and above be recommended for biopsy.
Rating: Important
Comment: A study of penile condylomata, dysplasia and carcinoma histological subtypes using PCR was applied to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from US and Paraguay. HPV DNA in 42% of penile CA; 90% of dysplasia; 100% condyloma. Keratinizing SCC and verrucous CA were much less likely to be positive for HPV than basaloid and warty tumor subtypes of CA, suggesting that there may be different pathogenetic mechanisms for penile cancer.
Rating: Important
Comment: The Women’s Interagency HIV study was conducted in 5 US cities among HIV-infected women using a q6 mo Pap smear and cervicovaginal lavage for HPV DNA testing stratified by HAART exposure. Women w/ persistent HPV are more likely to have lesions progress. CD4 cell count and Pap smear status adjusted data found women on HAART 40% more likely to have regression of lesions.
Rating: Important
Comment: A very important contribution to our understanding of the natural hx of genital HPV in women. A 3-yr cohort study of 1075 15-19 y/o women who were cytologically WNL and HPV neg at the start. Cumulative incidence of HPV infection over 3 years was 44% w/HPV type 16, the most common type. Among 246 w/ abnormal Pap, 28 progressed to high-grade. High viral load appeared to be associated with a higher cumulative risk of having an abnormal Pap smear.
Comment: This was an outstanding clinical study conducted by these Danish investigators to determine the role of sexual intercourse in HPV transmission, examine the determinants for seroconversion, and the correlation between HPV DNA, abnormal cervical cytology, and serological response to HPV 16. 100 virgins and 105 monogamous women were randomly selected from a population-based cohort in Denmark. Only virgins who initiated sexual activity became HPV DNA positive. The most important determinant for the acquisition was the number of sexual partners between the 2 examinations conducted during the 2-yr study.
Comment: A cohort of 1400 Brazilian women was examined for an association between an index HPV infection and its effect on the acquisition and persistence of other types. This question is important to vaccine development if only certain virus types are targeted. The persistence of HPV infection appeared to be independent of the presence of coinfection with multiple types, including type 16, which is associated with approximately 50% of cervical cancers.
Comment: A landmark cohort study examining the natural history of HPV in 1611 Brazilian women with no cytological lesions on enrollment and HPV test results from the 1st 2 study visits. Repeated measurements were taken over 24 months. Incidence of SILs was 0.73/1000 women-months among those free of HPV at the initial 2 visits; 8.68 among women w/ HPV type 16 or 18 persisting over both visits. RR of incident SIL was 10.19 for persistence with any oncogenic type; higher among those with HPV 16 and 18. It supports the use of an algorithm that incorporates HPV testing if ASCUS is identified.
Rating: Important
Comment: 608 women were followed at 6-mo intervals over 3 yrs. the cumulative 36-month incidence of HPV infection was 43% (C.I. 36-49%). Avg annual incidence was 14%. The median duration of new infections was 7 to 10 mo. Persistence of HPV for >6 mo related to older age, type of HPV associated w/cervical CA, and infection with multiple types of HPV. Risk factors for infection: younger age, Hispanic ethnicity, black race, increased number of vaginal sex partners, high freq of vaginal sex, alcohol consumption, anal sex, partner with a high number of lifetime sex partners, and who was not in school.
Rating: Important
Comment: This is a report of a study to characterize anal HPV among MSM (n=346) and without (n=262) HIV infection recruited from enrollees among 3 San Francisco cohorts groups. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detected HPV DNA in anal specimens collected using dacron swabs placed in transport media in 93% of HIV-positive (H-Pos) and 61% of HIV-negative (H-Neg) men. The detected HPV genotype spectrum was similar in both groups, with HPV-16, an oncogenic genotype, the most commonly detected. Coinfection with multiple HPV types: H-Pos=73%, H-Neg=23%. A first-generation hybrid capture assay on unamplified collected material was used to examine oncogenic genotype (16/18/31/33/35/39/45/51/52/56/58) and non-oncogenic (6/11/42/43/44) spectra of infection among H-Pos men. Lower CD4 count was associated with higher oncogenic levels compared to non-oncogenic types. HIV-positive men who were positive by hybrid capture for group B HPV type (p< 0.005.
Rating: Important
Comment: Genital HPV, determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of HPV DNA (genotypes 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, and 45) and prevalence of HPV-6 and -16 serum antibodies, was investigated in 149 women who were sexually active with women. HPV DNA was detected in 30% of subjects; of these, 20% had type 31/33/35/39, 18% had type 16, and 2% had type 6/11. 21 subjects reported no prior sex with men; HPV DNA was detected in 19% and squamous intraepithelial lesions in 14%. Current smoking status correlated with detectable HPV DNA.
Rating: Important
Comment: An old study assessed the natural history of warts by following 1000 institutionalized children for two years. Source of the oft-repeated statement that two-thirds of warts spontaneously resolve in two years.
Wart on finger, termed verruca vulgaris or the common wart.
Source CDC/R.S. Hibbets
Upon paring down lesion, evidence of thrombosed capillaries distinguish from callus. Also, calluses tend to be non-painful.
Source: Wikimedia, Δρ. Χαράλαμπος Γκούβας
Flat wart, also called verruca plana, in a middle-aged women.
Source: Wikimedia commons
Iffat Hassan, Taseer Bhat, Hinah Altaf, Farah Sameem, Qazi Masood