ANOGENITAL WARTS IN CHILDREN

Fourteen children presenting with anogenital (AG) warts and their clos e family members were studied; 28.6 and 8.3% of presenting children an d other child household members, respectively, had non-genital cutaneo us warts; 42.8% of children with AG warts had one or more adult househ old member with common hand warts. Fifty per cent of all mothers had s ubclinical cervical papilloma virus (PV) infection; only one male adul t had subclinical PV infection of the penis without concurrent AG wart s. Of the children with AG warts 42.8% had one or more adult household member with AG warts. Human papilloma virus (HPV) deoxyribonucleic ac id (DNA), type 6/11 most frequently, was detected in 38.5% AG wart bio psies from children, and 67% AG wart biopsies from adults. HPV 31/33/3 5 was detected in 28.5% of cervical preneoplasias and type 6/11 in the one case of subclinical PV infection of the penile shaft. Detection o f HPV types 6/11, 16/18, or 31/33/35 in AG warts in children was signi ficantly associated with vertical (from an HPV-infected maternal birth canal during vaginal delivery) or sexual transmission of these warts (Fisher exact probability P=0.031).