You probably don't have a wart, and such repeated diagnostic attempts aren't worth the time and effort yand apparent anxiety you are feeling. Lack of overt warts so many months after apparent exposure, especially combined with a negative exam by a health care provider--is strong evidence that if you ever were infected, your immune system has long since eradicated it.
As you apparently know, applying vinegar is a lousy test; we never use it to diagnose warts in my STD clinic. It give both false-positive results (white spots that aren't warts) and false-negative ones as well (warts that don't turn white). The main use is in evaluating the cervix of women with HPV infection--not to diagnose HPV, but to determine where to take a biopsy. Its use may be appropriate by the occasional highly experienced observer, such as a well-trained dermatologist or perhaps your urologist, but even there the results often are questionable.
So if you're already scheduled to see a dermatologist, get it checked out again. But please accept his/her assurance if no warts are seen.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
I posted a follow up question since I saw the dermaologist this morning. I don't see the question listed on the list, so this may be redundant.
They are warts, 4 very small ones actually. He froze them.
Its been 10 months since I noticed them....does this mean the clock starts over with me needing to clear HPV from my system or is the more likely case that I cleared it long time ago and these warts are not likely to return now? I have a follow up in 6 weeks.
thanks doc.
Your new post was deleted; it wasn't a new problem and should have been posted here. Only a limited number of new questions is possible, so every unnecessary new thread prevents someone from getting in with a new issue. You did the right thing in reposting the follow-up as a comment.
It's hard to answer your question with confidence. Most people clear their warts in a few months, but sometimes it takes a year or more. Since your warts persisted at least 10 months--perhaps longer from the time you actually were infected--you probably should assume a longer than average period to clear them. If your warts resolve with the treatment you just got and haven't recurred after ~6 months, you're probably home free; but hard to be certain.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Thank you. I hope I am done with questions to give others more of a chance.
To hit at the science of this: if you have overt warts, and don't treat them, they will at some point go away. I would think that you can clear the virus in a few months, and then the warts themselves eventually die and fall off. But the presence of overt warts after a certain amount of time does not mean an active infection? However, there is no way to tell, so u treat the warts, watch for reoccurance to know for sure.
All the best and thanks.
Yes, even overt warts eventually go away spontaneous. It's just like common warts of the hands or feet, which most of us get as kids. Typically they disappear after a few weeks or months.
HHH, MD
Doctor -
Maybe I should just leave well enough alone but I can't help but see that you wrote after 6 months it's hard to be certain that the warts will stay away. Is this just an exception to your rule of 6 months because he has had warts for 10 months and thus it will take longer to clear or should someone with a more normal case (i.e. mine) be worried after 6 months of no reoccurrence ?
Thanks.