Anal warts are one of the most important factors that impact the quality of life for patients on a negative way. Genital warts are already an important source of psychological trauma and the addition of anal warts to this increases this stress, especially male patients apply to their doctors late.
The data I am about to share, when the focus is males, is mostly about males that have sexual relations with women. You should check another section for homosexual patients. The HPV infections found on homosexual males have different properties. Still, I will share some data on anal HPV infections seen on homosexual males in this article as well in order to preserve its wholism.
Let’s get some misunderstandings out of the way first. Having genital warts in or around the anal area does not indicate that the patient has had anal sex for sure or that he is a homosexual!! This is important, since male patient do not go to doctors on this issue, fearing that it will be assumed that they are gay. But even worse, we the doctors have some prejudices. But many research show that people with partners who has genital warts, might get infected through their anal channel.
In the 2010 article of Alan G. Nyitray on J.Inf. Disease magazine, it is said that 12% of men who had sexual relations with women had HPV infection on their anal area. On the other hand, both women and men with genital warts on their perineum have higher rates of anal wart infections.
HPV types 6 and 11 are the main factors that cause anal warts. Actually all genital warts are caused between 74 to 90% by HPV types 6 and 11. But like we emphasized on different sections of this website, 40% of all warts have more than one type of HPV as cause and between 12 to 20% of these types are high risk HPV types of 16 and 18.
Actually for both men and women, cleaning of HPV in the anal area is pretty fast. In the Hawaii research, the clearance period for HPV on anal areas are 8.5 months for women (I have simplified this number. It is actually the month in a woman’s year?).On the other hand, the most important data gathered in Hawaii research is that the high risk HPV types are cleared from the anal area faster. High risk HPV types (types 16 and 18) can be cleaned in 150 days on average, while low risk HPVS (types 6 and 11) can be cleaned in 224 days. The ones that stay for the longest period are HPV types 59, 28, 83 and 71. The last two also have oncogenic potantials, which mean they might cause cancer.
In conclusion, warts in anal areas are faster to heal. Interestingly high-risk HPVs are also cleared faster. To have frequent anal sex and homosexual relationships make clearance periods longer.
What tests are used for diagnosis?
Patients with genital warts in the anal area, must have their smear tests (from cervix) and smear on anal area must be done. If we need to collocate it academically; all patients with warts on perianal area, all HIV (AIDS virus) patients, all homosexual men have to have an anal smear test.
If the anal smear indicates problems, the HPV type must be determined, monitored if there are high risk types and anoscopy should be applied.
Wart Treatments on Anal Areas
Actually the treatment is not very different to the one on genital areas. But if the patient has advanced warts on the anal channel, it will be better for the patient to go to a general surgeon whose specialty is this area and have treatment under general anesthesia. If LGSIL and HGSIL is detected on the smear, smililar to cervical lesions, the patient needs general anesthesia again.
Although different organizations have differing views on treatment, the application of medical treatments are always hard. If the patient will take anesthesia already, the warts should be destroyed with cautery. Other than this, the treatment of perianal warts for both women and men are done using the same method used on genital warts.
Women with warts on anal area, can be treated vie local anesthesia as you can see below.
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03 Şubat 2013 tarihinde Prof. Dr. Süleyman Engin Akhan tarafından yayınlanmış ve 27 Haziran 2018 tarihinde de son güncelleme yapılmıştır.