|
|
Patient Management/Treatment
Genital Warts
The primary goal of treatment is the removal of symptomatic warts.
If left untreated, visible genital warts regress
spontaneously or persist with or without proliferation.
Currently available therapies may reduce infectivity, but
probably do not eradicate it. There is no evidence that
presence of genital warts or their treatment is associated
with development of cervical cancer.
| |
|
Treatment of warts should be guided by:
- The preference of the patient,
- The available resources, and
- The experience of the health care provider.
Most patients have fewer than ten genital warts, with a total wart area of 0.5-1.0 cm2. These warts respond to most treatment modalities. Other factors that may influence selection of treatment are discussed in the 2002 CDC STD Treatment Guidelines.
In most patients, treatment can induce wart-free periods.
There is no evidence that any specific treatment is superior
to any of the others. No treatment is ideal for all patients
or for all warts. The use of locally developed and monitored
treatment algorithms has been associated with improved
clinical outcomes.
Because of uncertainty regarding the effect of treatment on future transmission and the possibility for spontaneous resolution, some patients may choose to forgo treatment and await spontaneous resolution.
Recurrence of genital warts within the first several months after treatment is common and usually indicates recurrence rather than reinfection.
Both patient-applied and provider-administered therapies are available. Providers should be knowledgeable about, and have available to them, at least one patient-applied and one provider-administered treatment. Many patients require a course of therapy rather than a single treatment. Complications rarely occur if treatments for warts are properly employed.
|
Consider screening persons with newly diagnosed genital warts for other STDs, (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis).
|
|
|
|
