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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Is The Relation Between HPV And Skin Rashes ?

I have had abnormal squamous cells 4 times now in my life (I m 32). Each time I have had to have a colposcopy and once I had to have a LEEP procedure. I have noticed a pattern. The first time I had an abnormal pap , I also had what doctors diagnosed as pityriasis rosea--herald patch and sores all over my torso, chest and thighs. The 3 episodes of abnormal paps after that, I also had a herald patch on my back, stomach, or thighs, but only 1--no other rash/ patches on my body like the 1st time. What is the correlation between abnormal paps/ HPV and these skin rashes? What can I do about it to prevent outbreaks and abnormal paps in the future?
posted on Wed, 25 Apr 2012
Twitter Wed, 25 Apr 2012 Answered on
Twitter Sat, 5 May 2012 Last reviewed on
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OBGYN,  's  Response

The abnormal pap smears are related to prior exposure to a virus called HPV. This is because you are human being who has EVER been sexually active - the risk of exposure in your lifetime is probably about 80% - but you probably know all of this.

You might never completely clear the virus, even though pap smears can be normal for some period of time. In fact, some women have "reactivation" of the virus at a later point in life, and this often leads to confusion.

In your case, there might some correlation with periods of time when your immune system is compromised. I would address this with your doctor in terms of exploring whether the skin findings might be related to a systemic autoimmune disease. The types of specialists that are experts at these diagnosis' include Internal Medicine doctors and Rheumatologists.

I hope this helps!!
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What Is The Relation Between HPV And Skin Rashes ?

The abnormal pap smears are related to prior exposure to a virus called HPV. This is because you are human being who has EVER been sexually active - the risk of exposure in your lifetime is probably about 80% - but you probably know all of this. You might never completely clear the virus, even though pap smears can be normal for some period of time. In fact, some women have reactivation of the virus at a later point in life, and this often leads to confusion. In your case, there might some correlation with periods of time when your immune system is compromised. I would address this with your doctor in terms of exploring whether the skin findings might be related to a systemic autoimmune disease. The types of specialists that are experts at these diagnosis include Internal Medicine doctors and Rheumatologists. I hope this helps!!