The treatment for Heck's disease, which is an HPV infection in the mouth, is done when warts-like lesions develop inside the mouth, cause a lot of discomfort or cause aesthetic changes in the face, for example.
Thus, when recommended by the dermatologist, treatment of Heck's disease can be done with:
- Small surgery: it is done on local anesthesia in the dermatologist's office and consists of the removal of the lesions with a scalpel;
- Cryotherapy: consists of the application of cold on the lesions to destroy the tissue and accelerate the cicatrization;
- Diathermy: is a technique that uses a small apparatus that applies electromagnetic waves on the lesions, increasing the circulation and accelerating the regeneration of the tissues;
- Application of Imiquimode to 5%: is an ointment used to treat HPV warts that should be applied twice weekly to about 14 weeks. It is a less used technique because it has less results.
In cases where Heck's disease does not cause any change in the patient's daily life, it is usually not necessary to treat, since the lesions are benign and tend to disappear after a few months or years, and never reappear .
Symptoms of Heck's Disease
The main symptom of Heck's disease, which may also be known as focal epithelial hyperplasia, is the appearance of plaques or small balls inside the mouth that look like warts and have a similar color to the inside of the mouth or slightly whitish.
Although not causing pain, the lesions that appear in the mouth can become a nuisance, especially when chewing or talking, and it is often frequent to bite the lesions, which can cause some pain and bleeding.
Diagnosis of Heck's disease
The diagnosis of Heck's disease is usually made by a dermatologist through observation of lesions and biopsy examination to identify, in the laboratory, the presence of types 13 or 32 of the HPV virus in the lesion cells.
Thus, whenever changes occur in the mouth, it is advised to go to the dentist to see if the problem can be treated in the office or if it is necessary to consult a dermatologist to make the diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment.
Here's how to avoid HPV infection in:
- How to get HPV
- HPV: healing, transmission, symptoms and treatment
