[Question #11885] HPV wart?
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11 months ago
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Hi docs,
Quick recap: 39 y/o woman dating a 48 y/o man since last October. No STDS before that, no HPV vaccine as I was married very young and never got it. Have all three shots now. Six months post dating, first ever abnormal pap with ASCUS, tests done, all CIN1 and no worries, come back in a year. July I find a TINY, round firm skin colored bump right outside vaginal opening- painless, think nothing of it as I'm a regular shaver. Forget about it. Two days ago find it again and am more worried. Take a close look and is the same. Just ONE, looks similar to other parts of my vagina (I have the chicken skin bumps) but it's hard and it's a bit bigger than the others. Literally cannot see it at all unless I stretch the skin. If a wart, which I'm convinced with my recent HPV luck it is, do you still recommend treatment? I know one wart is not common, and isn't it strange it took 9 months? That seems long. Without treatment, will it set me up to get more warts? I have an apt with my OGBYN 9/9. I know I should be be ashamed or annoyed, but my gosh this has been a discouraging road back in dating!
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
11 months ago
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Welcome back to the Forum. The best advice I can provide at this point is to not get too far into "what if" questions before you see your OB/GYN in a week. There are hundreds of processes which lead to genital lesions of which more that 90% are not STIs, including HPV. FYI, warts are not typically hard. What you describe sounds more like a common cyst of the sort that occurs commonly in the genital area. Such lesions can occur related to shaving and others are just chance occurrences. In addition, PLEASE do not repeatedly vigorously examine yourself or squeeze the lesion- doing so may may it more difficult to determine what is going on. Finally, please let your GYN know about your concerns- many clinicians would simply treat such a lesion, dismissing it a "maybe a wart" and, in my opinion, it would be good for you to have a more definitive diagnosis- what you describe does not sound like a wart to me.
Hope this helps. Perhaps I missed some or all of your question. EWH
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11 months ago
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It definitely doesn't look like pictures I've seen online, but I know typically that might not mean much. I guess my questions were really if it's normal to only have one rather than at least a couple? And doesn't nine months seem a long time to get the first one, if a wart? I'm glad to hear you think it might not be one. All descriptions online say "tiny hard bumps" but I've seen both you and HHH say they're typically soft, wart like and very obvious. So, so hopeful this is just a coincidence
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
11 months ago
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Warts can appear almost any time following acquistion of infection. Most typically however 3-6 month following an exposure. Further, you are now vaccinated. As I said above, I doubt that this is a wart. EWH---
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11 months ago
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Thank you again so much for your help. While shaving again, I took another look (I know , I know, not supposed to) and gave the bump the slightest feel around and squeeze. What looked like a tiny bit of yellow (much like a pimple) liquid came out and the bump went nearly completely flat making me feel much more relieved like this is definitely a pimple as I've read warts don't behave this way. However, it slightly filled up again, only to again release a bit of yellow, thick liquid when squeezed today. When squeezed it nearly almost disappears. This seems even more evidence this is not a wart, correct? Or do warts behave this way? I'm totally aware this is my last follow up.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
11 months ago
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STOP SQUEEZING !!!! Leave further manipulation to your doctor, please.
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What you describe however sounds nothing like a wart and like a benign, non HPV cyst. Warts do not behave this way.
As you know, this completes this thread. Closing it shortly. EWH