Giant condyloma acuminatum - Buschke-Lowenstein disease - a literature review.

AIM Buschke-Lowenstein disease or giant condyloma acuminatum represents a rare, sexually transmitted disorder, with a slow evolution and the tendency to infiltrate in the adjacent tissues; untreated, the outcome is unfavorable. The hallmark is the development of one or various prominent-sized vegetant tumors that usually ulcerate. MATERIAL AND METHODS The present article summarizes both the etiopathogenic features and the current approach of treatment management. RESULTS Minimally invasive surgery along with local and systemic therapy is adequate in patients with small-sized lesions or high intraoperative risk. The main treatment remains extensive surgery with wide resection and often reinterventions to complete the excision. CONCLUSIONS giant condyloma acuminatum represents a continuous surgical challenge, because of the need of exhaustive surgical procedures that should consider both the oncological principles and a better anatomical resolution. No standard treatment protocol can be established, because of the infrequency of the disease. Radical surgery including full thickness excision of the affected areas represents the "gold standard" therapy. Other known forms of treatment present unsatisfactory results without statistical significance, the studies having been conducted on small groups of patients. An adequate, long-term follow-up of Buschke-Lowenstein patients is highly recommended, because of the increased recurrence rate.