Recently, the Central Dermatology Hospital has received many cases of genital warts in different age groups, including many elderly patients coming for examination when the lesions have spread due to self-treatment at home.
Recently, the hospital received a male patient, nearly 70 years old, for examination due to the appearance of papillomas in the peripheral area of the anus for about 2 months. The old man said he had unsafe sex about 1 month before the injury appeared.
Initially, the lesions were just small nodules causing mild itching, so the patient self-medicated with topical medication for treatment. However, after a period of use, the lesions did not decrease but continued to spread to the area around the anus, causing the patient to worry and go to the Central Dermatology Hospital for examination.
Through clinical examination, BSCKII. Tran Thi Thanh Tam, Department of Laser and Skin Care, recorded many papilloma-like lesions in the peripheral area of the anus and around the anus, typical for genital warts.
After a comprehensive assessment and professional consultation, the patient was prescribed and treated with CO2 laser to completely remove the lesions and was monitored and cared for the wound at the hospital. After 3 days, the lesion area was dry and clean, no longer oozing fluid or bleeding. The patient was instructed to have regular re-examinations to monitor and detect early recurrence risk.
Dr. Vu Huy Luong, Head of Laser and Skin Care Department, said that in this case, the patient's self-purchase of topical medication may be a factor causing widespread damage. Some topical medications of unknown origin or containing corticosteroids can weaken local immunity, creating conditions for the HPV virus to develop more strongly. In addition, in older adults, the natural immune system often declines, making damage easier to progress and spread than in young people.
According to Dr. Vu Huy Luong, genital warts in the anal area are a relatively difficult treatment location because this area is easily damp, easily infected and has a high risk of recurrence. Treatment requires experienced doctors along with appropriate equipment to thoroughly remove lesions and limit complications.
Dr. Pham Thi Minh Phuong, Deputy Director of the Central Dermatology Hospital, said that genital warts are a common sexually transmitted disease caused by the HPV virus and can occur at all ages. In many cases, patients are often subjective or reluctant to go to the doctor when the injury is still small, leading to self-treatment or prolonging the disease, causing the injury to spread and become more difficult to treat.
Therefore, when abnormal signs appear in the genital area or anus such as papillomas, papules, itching, bleeding... people should go to reputable specialized medical facilities for examination and timely treatment. Early detection and proper treatment not only help improve treatment effectiveness but also reduce the risk of infection to others.
