Human Papillomavirus Infection in Child

Human papilloma viruses (HPV) have been identified as the cause of cutaneous and genital warts. Furthermore, HPV DNA can also be detected in certain malignant epithelial tumors such as cervical carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell cancer. HPV infections in children, particularly when occurring as condylomata acuminata, present a difficult and often puzzling problem. The modes of viral transmission in child remain controversial, including perinatal transmission, auto- and hetero-inoculation, sexual abuse, and, possibly, indirect transmission via fomites. The treatment of warts and condylomata acuminate in child poses a therapeutic challenge for physicians. No single therapy has been proven effective at achieving complete remission in every patient. As a result, many different approaches to therapy exist. The proper approach to the management of warts depends on the age of the patient, location, size, extent, and type of wart, and duration of lesions. Each treatment decision should be made on a case-by-case basis according to the experience of the physician, patient preference, and the application of evidence-based medicine. In order to modify HPV epidemiology, HPV prophylactic vaccine has been recently proposed for children. The purpose of this review is to update the reader with the latest information on the HPV and its therapeutics in children.