infectious diseases
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection
Introduction
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infects epithelial cells. Most of the > 100 subtypes infect cutaneous epithelium and causeskin warts; some types infect mucosal epithelium and causeanogenital warts. Skin or anogenital warts are diagnosed based on clinical appearance and are usually treated with topical medications or cytodestructive treatments. Genital warts may persist and spread widely in patients with decreased cell-mediated immunity (eg, due to pregnancy or HIV infection). Some types that infect mucosal epithelium can lead toanogenital or oropharyngeal cancer.Pap tests and/or HPV testing is recommended to screen for cervical cancer and anal cancer in high-risk patients. Vaccines are available to protect against many of the HPV strains that can cause genital warts and cancer. (See also Overview of Sexually Transmitted Infections .) HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). HPV is so common that 80% of sexually active unvaccinated people get the virus at some point in their life ( General reference ). In the US, about 14 million people become newly infected with HPV each year; before the HPV vaccine became available, each year roughly 340,000 to 360,000 patients sought care for genital warts caused by HPV. Most HPV infections clear spontaneously within 1 to 2 years, but some persist. 