HPV and risk of maternal-fetal transmission.

Nowadays HPV genital infection is the sexually transmitted disease most widespread in the world. The most pathogenic HPV types are the acknowledged cause of almost all cases of cervical cancer. Pregnancy, because of the endocrine and immunological modifications that characterize it, seems to increase the risk of HPV infections and of HPV-linked lesions. Currently juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis, a disease with a peak of incidence in the early childhood, is thought to be due to a maternal-fetal transmission of HPV. The risk of vertical transmission seemes to correlate positively with delivery by vaginal route, maternal viral load, time elapsing between the rupture of the membranes and the end of delivery. During pregnancy it is advisable to treat clinically evident genital papillomatosis by laser-vaporization. The above mentioned disease does not seem instead to require and an caesarean section as this practice does not give important advantages from the point of view of cost/benefits ratio.