Free

E-Newsletters

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

HPV infection causes warts. There are more than 100 varieties of human papillomavirus (HPV). Different types of HPV infection can cause warts on different parts of your body.

For example, some types of HPV infection cause plantar warts on the feet, while other varieties of HPV infection are responsible for the warts that most commonly occur on a person's hands or face.

There are more than 40 different strains of HPV that specifically affect the genital area. Most HPV infections don't lead to cancer, but some types of genital HPV can cause cancer of the cervix — the passage between the vagina and the uterus.

Vaccines can help protect against the strains of genital HPV most likely to cause genital warts or cervical cancer.

References
  1. Douglas JM. Papillomavirus. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50401-8&isbn=978-1-4160-2805-5&sid=1100799163&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50401-8--cesec10&uniqId=230895620-4#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50401-8--cesec10. Accessed Jan. 3, 2011.
  2. Habif TP. Warts. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00021-3&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=1100799163&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00021-3--s0015&uniqId=230895620-4#4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00021-3--s0015. Accessed Jan. 3, 2011.
  3. Reichman R. Clinical presentation and diagnosis of human papillomavirus infections. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 3, 2011.
  4. Genital HPV infection: Fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm. Accessed Jan. 3, 2011.
  5. Molpus KL, et al. Gynecologic cancers. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50214-7--cesec29&isbn=978-1-4160-2805-5&sid=1101118090&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50214-7--cesec40&uniqId=230973572-4#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50214-7--cesec40. Accessed Jan. 4, 2011.
  6. Goldstein BG, et al. Cutaneous warts. http://uptodate.com.home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 4, 2011.
  7. Warts. American Academy of Dermatology. http://aad.org/publications/pamphlets/common_warts.html. Accessed Jan. 4, 2011.
  8. Breen E, et al. Condylomata acuminata (anogenital warts). http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 4, 2011.
  9. Human papillomaviruses and cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/HPV. Accessed Jan. 4, 2011.
  10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Recommendations on the use of quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in males — Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2011:60;1705.
DS00906 Jan. 20, 2012

© 1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger