Condyloma Acuminatum

What is condyloma (condyloma acuminatum)?

Condylomas are warts caused by a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus) that can form in the genital area or around the anus. Sometimes they can also be seen inside the anal canal.

These warts are usually benign. However, because some types of HPV can increase the risk of cancer developing, a proper assessment is important.

What are the symptoms?

• Small, flesh-like bumps around the anus or in the genital area
• Warts on their own or in clusters, sometimes looking like cauliflower
• Itching, burning or a feeling of discomfort
• Sometimes slight bleeding
• Small growths noticed without any complaint at all

How is it passed on?

HPV is mostly passed on during sexual contact, through direct contact with infected skin or mucous membrane.

The virus can be present in a person without any symptoms. Warts can appear months, or even years, after the infection was passed on. For this reason it is often impossible to tell when, or from whom, the infection was caught.

Is a condyloma cancer?

No. The great majority of condylomas are not cancer.

Most visible genital warts are caused by HPV types that carry a low risk of cancer. However, some high-risk HPV types are linked in particular to cancers of the anus and of the cervix (the neck of the womb).

For this reason, growths that are suspicious, hard, irregular, ulcerated or bleed easily need to be assessed by a doctor.

Important note: condyloma and anal cancer should not be treated as the same thing. Most warts come from low-risk HPV types. High-risk HPV infections, on the other hand, can cause different changes in the cells.

How is it diagnosed?

The diagnosis is mostly made by a doctor’s examination.

If warts are suspected inside the anal canal, the inside of the area can be examined with methods such as anoscopy.

Where it is thought necessary, a biopsy is taken to look into the nature of the growth.

Is there a treatment?

Yes. Condylomas can be treated.

Depending on the size and number of the warts and where they are, treatment can be with special creams, freezing, burning or surgery.

However, getting rid of the warts does not mean that HPV has been cleared from the body completely. For this reason, warts can form again after treatment.

Is it possible to protect yourself?

The HPV vaccine can give protection against some of the HPV types that cause warts and against the high-risk types linked to cancer. However, it does not treat warts that are already there.

Using a condom reduces the risk of passing it on, but it does not give complete protection, because the virus can also be passed on from areas of skin the condom does not cover.

When should you see a doctor?

If you notice new bumps, warts, itching or bleeding around the anus or in the genital area, you are advised to see a doctor.

Important: not every bump around the anus is a haemorrhoid. Condylomas can sometimes be mistaken for haemorrhoids or other skin conditions.

An early assessment allows the right diagnosis to be made and suitable treatment to be planned.