Vulvovaginal human papillomavirus infections: clinical implications and management

The past 2 decades have witnessed an alarming increase in the incidence of human papillomavirus infections. Clinically evident cases represent only a small portion of the infected population, because millions of people have subclinical or latent infection. Human papillomavirus infection is recognized as a precursor to malignancy. Thus it is important to treat clinically evident infection. Treatment is complicated by the ability of the virus to establish latent infection and the lack of an effective antiviral agent. At present treatment is limited to the destruction of obvious and intraepithelial lesions.