A retrospective analysis of the costs and management of genital warts in Italy

Abstract

BackgroundIn Italy the prevalence of genital warts in women (15–64 years) is approximately 0.6% with an incidence of 0.4% per year. Treatments for GW are usually long, with moderate success and high costs. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic-therapeutic pathway, duration and setting of treatment, costs of episodes of condyloma in a population attending a regional STI clinic in Piedmont.MethodsThis was a retrospective observational study conducted using medical records of outpatients who first visited the STI Clinic of San Lazzaro Dermatological Hospital in 2008. The patients’ medical histories were analysed for episodes that occurred and were cleared in 18 months following the initial visit. Data on screening methods for STIs, type of diagnosis for condyloma, treatment type, treatment setting, and anatomic lesion site were obtained from medical records. The costs were calculated for each episode.ResultsA total of 450 episodes were analysed (297 men,153 women). The most frequently affected anatomic site was the genital area (74%) in both genders. With regard to treatment setting, 78.44% of patients received outpatient treatment at the STI clinic, 4% were treated at home, and 0.22% were hospitalised; 11.11% were treated in multiple settings. The mean number of treatments per episode was 2.03; although many patients received only 1 treatment (n = 207, 46%), exspecially cryotherapy or diathermy coagulation (64.73% versus 28.02% of episodes, respectively). The mean episode duration was 80.74 days. The mean cost (in 2011 euros) for an episode was €158.46 ± 257.77; the mean costswere €79.13 ± 57.40 for diagnosis and €79.33 ± 233.60 for treatment. The mean cost for treatment in a STI-Clinic setting was €111.39 ± 76.72, that for home treatment was €160.88 ± 95.69, and that for hospital care was €2825.94.ConclusionsThe treatment of and associated costs for genital warts are significant. Several factors affect the cost, and internal STI clinic protocols, such as the 6 month window used to consider a recurrence or new diagnosis, create bias. Nonetheless, our findings how costs similar to those reported in the international literature and should be considered when deciding on which HPV vaccination programs should be provided by the public health system.

Effect of Immunomodulatory Supplements Based on Echinacea Angustifolia and Echinacea Purpurea on the Posttreatment Relapse Incidence of Genital Condylomatosis: A Prospective Randomized Study

“…Most commonly used therapy is cryotherapy or diathermocoagulation (65% and 28%); drug therapy is much less frequent (6%). Approximately 50% of patients undergo a single treatment procedure; the number of patients that undergo more than one treatment procedures progressively decreases; 3% of patients undergo 5 or more treatments [26]. This pattern is similar for both sexes and is according to the anatomical site [26].…”

Sex differences in the prevalence and determinants of HPV-related external genital lesions in young adults: a national cross-sectional survey in Brazil

“…HPV6 and HPV11 belong to the low-risk HPV (LR-HPV) group and are known for their low association with carcinoma development [ 4 ]. Additionally, the costs associated with the diagnosis and treatment of HPV lesions reported in the international literature are substantial [ 5 – 7 ]. In Brazil, the healthcare costs for genital warts treatment among the sexually active population is estimated to range from $34 to $40 million over the next five years [ 8 ].…”

Burden of genital warts in Peru: an observational study

“…3 Studies of the burden of GW have been conducted in several Western countries. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] However, in Peru, GW are not included in a mandatory surveillance system and there are limited epidemiologic data. 11 Furthermore, there are no data on which physician practice types manage GW or how the infections are diagnosed.…”