[New surgical approaches for the treatment of anogenital HPV infections]

HPV infections in the anogenital region may have very heterogeneous clinical features. Most often typical papillomatous condylomata acuminata are observed that usually present no differential diagnostic difficulty. In contrast, the clinical findings of higher grade intraepithelial dysplasias with flat papules and erythematous/ eczematous lesions are often quite inconspicuous and hardly characteristic. The goal of therapy is to prevent further progression to carcinoma, removal of bothersome tumors and avoidance of complications. Surgical methods are preferentially employed for extensive lesions, unfavorable locations and higher grade dysplasia. Options include removal with scissors or scalpel, laser therapy and electrocautery. For purely intraepithelial alterations, superficial ablative techniques are usually preferable over excision. Further developments such as argon plasma coagulation reduce the risk of unwanted deep thermal destruction with the accompanying complications. The risks for the surgeon and the surgical team during treatment should also not be neglected. With consideration of all relevant aspects, the combination of different methods may reduce the risk of complications and frequency of recurrences. Due to the high recurrence rate independent of the selected therapy, consistent follow-up after primary therapy is crucial for the long-term success.