ANAL CONDYLOMA. 1. What are anal condylomata?

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2 ANAL CONDYLOMA 1. What are anal condylomata? Anal condylomata (or condylomata acuminata) is a very uncomfortable and relatively frequent problem that is normally localized in the perianal area, although it can also affect the genial area. They look like small cutaneous stains the size of a pinhead that later increase their size and thickness. Normally, they do not cause any discomfort or pain to the patients; therefore they go unnoticed for a long time. 2. Why do they appear? They are thought to be caused by the human papillomavirus. This is quite contagious and can be transmitted from one person to another, normally by direct contact. 3. Is it necessary to remove anal condylomata? Yes. If they are not resected, they continue growing in size and quantity and end up being very numerous. Moreover, it is known that they can degenerate into cancerous injuries. 4. What treatments are available? If condilomata are small and are only located in the perianal region skin, they can be treated medically directly on the surface. In spite of the apparent simplicity of the treatment, it is advisable to be done carefully and precisely by an experienced doctor in order not to damage nearby skin. It s normally necessary to appoint different sessions for several weeks to solve the problem. There is also the possibility of eliminating the condilomata faster with electrocautery, using an electric scalpel or combining both techniques. It can also be treated with laser surgery, although this does not bring any advantage compared to the other treatments. All these techniques provide immediate results, but require local, general, or spinal anesthesia and previous location of the condilomata that are to be treated. Condilomata located inside the anal canal is a candidate for topical treatment and most of them require cauterity and surgical resection.

3 5. How long should I go on sick leave? It depends on the patient and the extension of their injuries. Most people feel light feelings of discomfort the day after the treatment and require taking analgesics. Some of them can go to work the following day, but others need a few days off. 6. Is it easy to solve this problem? Not so much. Even with cauterity or surgery, we can only destroy the condilomata that exists at that point, but many patients develop new more condilomata after the treatment. This is so, because the viruses that cause this condition may have infected other tissues that have not developed the condition yet, and this is why they look normal. They are not recurrences of injuries already treated, but the development of viruses that were already present in the tissues. The new condilomata can be treated at the very doctor's office with a chemical treatment or an electric cauterizing instrument. These techniques are applied in a range of several weeks at first. Later, this interval can be wider because condilomata will be smaller and less numerous. The development of condilimata is sometimes faster than usual and the doctor's office may not be the best place for treatment. In such cases, the patient must go under a second or third surgical intervention. 7. How long is it necessary to do checkups? It is necessary to monitor the patient for a few months after treating the last condiloma to be sure there is no viruses in the skin cells that may cause new injuries. 8. What measures should be adopted to avoid recurrences and new infections? In certain cases, condilomata can reappear again and again despite the correct treatment. To avoid any recurrences or new infections it is necessary to follow these recommendations: - Continue with the checkups during some months after the detection and treatment of the last condilomata. Thus we can make sure we have removed all cutaneous injuries, whether visible or not. - Avoid sexual intercourse with people who suffer anal or genital condilomata Considering that many patients are not aware that they suffer from this condition, it is advisable to avoid sexual promiscuity to limit the exposition to potential contagious sources and rule out that your sexual partner presents the condition.

4 9. What are colorectal surgeons? Colorectal surgeons are experts on surgical and non-surgical treatments for any condition in the colon or rectum. These professionals are specialized in colon and rectum pathologies after ending their formation as specialists in general and digestive surgery. They treat benign and malignant conditions, carry out studies for the early detection of certain illnesses, and proceed with surgical treatment when this is indicated.

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