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STDs (Expert Forum)
Anal warts removal confusion
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
Anal warts removal confusion
by Daisyjoy, Jun 10, 2005 12:00AM
Hey Doc, you said this in regards to anal warts: "internal ones usually clear up on their own after a few weeks or months. For all these reasons, in my STD clinic, we generally don't even look for internal anal warts - we just treat the external ones."
Well I just went to go see a rectal surgeon to have my eight tiny external warts removed, he zapped them using cautery. He then INSISTED on inserting this eight inch long scary looking alien anal colonoscopy probe up there to look for internal warts. I said “NO WAY” based on what you have stated earlier, plus I have never had anal sex. I allowed him to insert his finger a couple of inches up, and he said he felt no warts, but said this camera was needed because anal warts can turn to cancer. What’s your opinion? Would an anal pap be a good compromise? I am in my 30's BTW. Someone also mentioned that they had to have part of their inner labia cut off because there were too many genital warts to laser off...they had taken over the whole piece. Thus I SHOULD have internal anal warts checked for and removed to avoid this same fate. So I'm a bit confused on this. Should I allow him to check up there (I would rather not, he can't feel or visually see any) and if I did have tiny internal anal warts, can I just let them go away on their own as long as they don't hurt or get too big?
Well I just went to go see a rectal surgeon to have my eight tiny external warts removed, he zapped them using cautery. He then INSISTED on inserting this eight inch long scary looking alien anal colonoscopy probe up there to look for internal warts. I said “NO WAY” based on what you have stated earlier, plus I have never had anal sex. I allowed him to insert his finger a couple of inches up, and he said he felt no warts, but said this camera was needed because anal warts can turn to cancer. What’s your opinion? Would an anal pap be a good compromise? I am in my 30's BTW. Someone also mentioned that they had to have part of their inner labia cut off because there were too many genital warts to laser off...they had taken over the whole piece. Thus I SHOULD have internal anal warts checked for and removed to avoid this same fate. So I'm a bit confused on this. Should I allow him to check up there (I would rather not, he can't feel or visually see any) and if I did have tiny internal anal warts, can I just let them go away on their own as long as they don't hurt or get too big?
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Jun 10, 2005 12:00AM
, Jun 10, 2005 12:00AM
Visible genital warts are not caused by the same HPV types that cause cancer. The main reason to detect and treat internal warts is that they lead to recurrent external warts, not that they are likely to turn to cancer. In any case, there is no evidence that removing visible warts inside the rectum does anything to actually cure HPV or reduce the risk of later recurrence or of cancer. For every visible wart the rectal surgeon can see and remove, there undoubtedly is a much broader area of infected tissue, about which nothing is (or can be) done.
But different providers have different attitudes and beliefs about all this, and I can't resolve the difference between my clinic's approach and your rectal surgeon's advice. The best I can suggest is to get yet another opinion, e.g. from an infectious diseases specialist.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
But different providers have different attitudes and beliefs about all this, and I can't resolve the difference between my clinic's approach and your rectal surgeon's advice. The best I can suggest is to get yet another opinion, e.g. from an infectious diseases specialist.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
