# Question for medical dopers (Warning unsettling pictures).

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-medical-dopers-warning-unsettling-pictures/395760>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 13, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-medical-dopers-warning-unsettling-pictures/395760 "2007-03-13T16:19:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-medical-dopers-warning-unsettling-pictures/395760/1 "2007-03-13T16:19:03Z")

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**WARNING! UNSETTLING PICTURES OF ODD SKIN GROWTHS AT THE LINK**

I’m not kidding here.

Last warning.

[http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/03/missionary\_enco.html](http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/03/missionary_enco.html)

Now the question:

Several people have suggested that the gentleman in question is suffering from a form of the [Shope papillomavirus](http://http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/jacksforreal.html) which affects rabbits.

Now if it IS a papillomavirus, why would it be limited to his hands/feet? I thought they would infect on contact with other parts of the skin.

If it’s not a virus, say it’s a tumor, again, why would it be limited to the specific areas in question?

I guess I’m just wondering how growths remain within specific body areas rather than just spread.