MIsdiagnosis of GW?

[waquestion]

I was told that I had GW by a dermatologist about 13 years ago.  He treated it (with freezing) for a while and it didn't go away, I was not satisfied with his treatment so I requested a biopsy to be sure.  He told me the test came back negative but that it showed something abnormal and said that we should treat it like it was GW.  He again treated it with freezing.  I was a student at the time and had health coverage.  When I was still not satisfied with his treatment I requested alternative forms of treatment and remarkably(his treatment was covered but drugs were not), just after my coverage ran out, he suggested Podofilox which I took but it was not very effective either.  

Eventually it cleared up but a few times since it has come back and I went to see GPs for treatment telling them I had GW.  I once again have what appears to be the the exact same thing but now I am wondering if it is something other than GW.  I did the vinegar test and found no white spots, I know this is far from a fool proof method of detection but it is increasing my speculation.

The growths are always the same; they are very small (about as small as the eye can detect), come in small numbers (this time there is only 1 or 2 and there have never been more than 4 or 5 and they are not clustered but about 1-2 cm apart), raised from the skin on slightly if at all, very similar in color to the surrounding skin, and are always located in the same region (basically 1 cm above where the base of my penis meets the bottom of my stomach and are almost always located very close to a hair follicle).  recently, I have also noticed that I have very similar looking growths on my hands (specifically the fleshy part where my thumbs meet my palms) and possibly near my ankles (I can't be sure because I can't get my feet close enough to inspect them like my hands).

I have requested biopsies since as well but was told that they would not be effective and that in a public health care system it was not an efficient use of the available resources.

So I have a few questions...

1.  Could the growths in my groin and hands be related?
2.  How come the warts only grow in that location and not in the typical location for GW?  I had a girlfriend up until recently for 5 years and she enjoyed pushing hard on that region during sex, could that effect these growths (I informed her of my GW diagnosis and she has always been symptom free)?  
3.  Why would GW persist for so long?  I am not perfect, I do drink but otherwise I am very healthy as evidenced by the fact I am very healthy and rarely get sick.  I am not ill at all and my immune system should be very strong so why can't my body fight it off if it is GW?
4.  Could it be something else?  What?

Thanks in advance.

[Mags370]

I totally agree, you need to find a doctor who has experience with GW and will help you to figure this out. I have never found anything that says GW can be on hands and feet, otherwise they wouldn't be called genital warts. ;) I do have vaginal warts, very small, so small two docs missed them on exams but I knew what I look like and was persistant, so on the 3rd visit it was confirmed. I did a vinegar test at home and nothing happened...except to irratate my skin! Your x gf could have already had the same HPV type if that is what you have or she just didn't get symptoms. Your immune system can be strong and you still get symptoms. Also you could have gotten different HPV strains and had GW from each type. So each time you thought you were just having a flare up of the old it was really a new flare up. There are so many what ifs....thing is, just don't worry and see a doc. Maybe if having the same thing in other places is not an STD at all. Either way, most of us have or will have it.

[SkaterDave]

I don't think that this question can be answered by some lay people on a forum somewhere.  Your best bet I think is to find a dermatologist and then see if it's one that you can trust, one who will listen to you and make you feel like you are being treated with intelligence.  HPV shouldn't persist this long but having said that, perhaps you are some statistic that is the exception to the rule.  Statistically speaking I'd say probably not but you never know.  Incidentally, your bumps sound very much like mine.  I've had HPV for a year now and my last three treatments were for very small, flesh colored bumps all localized within the same small area.  Each time they reappear it's in a slightly different spot though.  With you, it's not possible to say that what's on your hands and feet are the same as on your genitals -not possible for us on medhelp to say at least.  Also, you might yet find someone who is willing to biopsy them.  As I've learned as well as you, they are very resistant to doing so though.  

Also, forget the vinegar test, it's useless as far as I can tell.  The experts on this site don't put any stock in it either.