warts and vinegar test

I have three small bumps on my vagina btwn the lips and thigh.  They look like the normal bumps that are a natural part of that area but seem to be a bit swolen.  When I pull the skin tight in that area, the bumps spread with the skin and are much less visible.  My doctor gave me the vinegar test and nothing turned white.  My concern is that the swelling of the bumps doesn't seem to be going away although they seem to be a bit smaller one day only to swell up again the next.

My questions are:

1) If the vinegar test is negative, what are the chances that they are warts? (I know the test produces a lot of false positives but could this be a false negative?)

2) Do warts spread with the skin or do they maintain their full shape/size when the skin is spread tight?

3) Can wart size vary from day to day?

4) Can warts form on top of the natural bumps in that area or do they tend to form on a more even surface?

Thanks for all your help.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

1) The vinegar test is so bad that most STD experts never use it.  It is especially unreliable, with both false negative (missing HPV infections) and false positive results (abnormal in the absence of HPV) on dry skin.  So the negative result may be a little reassuring, but only slightly.

2) Warts would maintain size and shape, no spreading with the skin.

3) No.

4) Warts tend to form where sexual friction is greatest, so it is logical they would be a little more frequent on prominent surfaces.  But this probably isn't important for lesions on the thigh.

Bottom line:  I'm pretty sure these aren't warts.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[John075]

about a year ago I noticed a white line on my penis just under the head, it was 1mm thick x 1.5 cm long. The doctor back then said it was a whart and gave me some treatment which got rid of it. A year down the track it came back, 1mm thick x 1.5cm long but this time just a bit more up and to the right. I went to two doctors and one said it was not a wart because of the shape and another one said that it was! I am wondering if warts can be thin and straight and if it's not than what is it.