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Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an oncogenic virus and the commonest sexually transmitted pathogen worldwide. Appropriate sampling is an important factor in infection management. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of cotton swabs (CS) and nylon-flocked swabs (NFS) in sampling for HPV-DNA PCR testing in male patients with genital warts. Methods: The study included men with genital warts who presented to the urology outpatient clinic of Antalya Medical Park Hospital. Before wart treatment, multisite sampling of the penis and genital area was performed separately with CS and NFS. The samples were analyzed for HPV-DNA using real-time PCR. Results: The study included 45 men with a mean age of 32.1 ± 8.6 years. At least one HPV type was detected in all 45 patients with NFS sampling and 44 patients with CS sampling (total HPV types detected: 106 and 84, respectively). NFS sampling detected 52 high-risk HPV types in 37 of the 45 patients, while CS sampling detected 37 high-risk types in 19 patients (p = 0.029). NFS sampling also detected a total of 54 low-risk HPV types in all 45 patients, versus 47 low-risk HPV types in 41 patients with CS sampling. Multiple HPV types were detected in 30 patients with NFS and 17 patients with CS (p = 0.001). Conclusion: NFS were more effective than CS for HPV-DNA testing in men with genital warts. NFS were superior to CS in detecting multiple-type HPV infection and high-risk HPV types. The use of NFS should be recommended for HPV-DNA PCR testing in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common pathogen of sexually transmitted disease worldwide. While HPV is responsible for low-grade benign lesions in the anogenital area such as condyloma acuminatum, it is also strongly associated with cervical, anal, vulvar/vaginal, and penile carcinomas. In addition to being an oncogenic virus, HPV causes a substantial socioeconomic burden due to the recurrence of benign lesions, the lack of a definitive treatment option that provides a complete cure, and the high cost of treatment. The global incidence of HPV infection is rising, especially among young and sexually active individuals; as a result, in recent years these infections have also become increasingly conspicuous in urology practice, both as incidental findings and primary complaints. The aim of this review is to evaluate the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment modalities of HPV infections in light of the current literature from the urologist's perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]