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Warts and Molluscum Contagiosum

»	What causes warts?
»	Name the common types of warts.
»	How frequently are the different cutaneous warts seen?
»	Can warts cause cancer?
»	What is epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV)?
»	What techniques are used to study warts?
»	What techniques are used to study warts?
»	Do warts spread?
»	How long is the incubation period of warts?
»	How can warts be prevented?
»	What is the difference between the Gardasil® and Cervarix® HPV vaccines?
»	Can HPV live in the human body in a dormant state?
»	Are plantar warts caused by a special kind of virus? Are they more difficult to treat?
»	What causes the black dots within a wart?
»	Can HPV infection have a hereditary basis?
»	Are some people more susceptible to warts than others?
»	Should all warts be eradicated?
»	How should external genital warts (EGWs) be treated?
»	What methods are available for the treatment of warts?
»	What are common side effects of treatment methods?
»	What are “fairy ring” warts?
»	Should any treatments be avoided?
»	Is there a best way to treat warts?
»	How can you tell if a wart is gone?
»	How can you be sure that warts will never come back?
»	Do any warts come from toads?
»	Are molluscum contagiosum a type of wart?

How should external genital warts (EGWs) be treated?

Clinical examination is sufficient for evaluation. Treatment goals should be to eliminate symptomatic warts. Sexual partners of patients with EGWs should be evaluated for warts or other sexually transmitted diseases. Women with EGWs should have cervical cytologic screening. HPV detection and EGW typing are not currently required for diagnosis or management. In minors, the presence of EGWs should prompt a consideration of sexual abuse.

Lacey CJ: Therapy for genital human papillomavirus-related disease, J Clin Virol 32:S82–S90, 2005.