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Warts Causes and Risks:
Warts are an infectious disease of low infectivity caused by a virus. They may occur anywhere on the body but are frequently seen on the hands, feet, and face (areas of frequent contact). Warts may be named by their location and appearance. On the soles of the feet they are called planter warts. Around and under the fingernails or toenails they are periungual or subungual warts, respectively. Common warts on the hands, arms, legs, and elsewhere are verrucae vulgaris but often just called common warts. Numerous very small smooth flat warts (pinhead size) often seen in large numbers on children's faces, foreheads, arms and legs are called verrucae planae juveniles. These are seen less often in adolescents and seldom in adults.
The typical wart is a rough round or oval raised lump on the skin that may be lighter or darker than the surrounding normal skin, skin colored or even (rarely) black. Most parents are familiar with the look of a typical wart and have little trouble in diagnosing the condition. Warts with a smooth surface and the small flat warts in children may cause some difficulty in diagnosis for the average parent. Common warts cause no discomfort unless they are in areas of repeated trauma.
Plantar warts are no different than the common wart but, because of their location on the soles of the feet, they can become extremely painful. Large numbers of planter warts on the foot may cause difficulty running and walking and can be debilitating.
Warts around and under the fingernail are similar to the common wart but much more difficult to cure.
The common wart may disappear spontaneously, often within 2 years of its appearance. Because people generally consider warts unsightly and there appears to be a social stigma (among school children) associated with having warts, parents often seek treatment. Treatment of warts has improved significantly in the last 10 years but even with effective treatment recurrence is not uncommon.
Prevention:
Avoid direct skin contact with another wart.
Symptoms:
- small, hard flat to raised skin lesion or lump
- skin colored, lighter or darker than surrounding skin, dark speckles, black
- skin abnormally dark or light may occur in a small area
- numerous small, smooth, flat (pinhead sized) lesions on forehead, cheeks, arms, or legs
- rough round or oval lesions on soles of feet, flat to slightly raised and painful to pressure
- rough growths around fingernails or toenails or protruding from beneath them
Signs and Tests:
The diagnosis is based on the appearance of the skin lump .
Treatment:
Treatment, although not always necessary, is often desired by both the affected child and the parent. Over-the-counter medications can be effective in removal of warts . These topically applied chemicals frequently consist of various mixtures of salicylic acid and lactic acid and are applied on a daily basis for several weeks. Stronger (prescription) medications may be required for removal of persistent warts. Surgical removal or removal by freezing ( cryotherapy ), burning ( electrocautery ), or laser treatment may be needed. Immunotherapy, done by causing a localized allergic reaction , is also used.
Prognosis:
Warts are benign growths that often disappear spontaneously within 2 years. They are contagious but of a very low order. Warts may be unsightly or cause discomfort, especially on the feet.
Complications:
- spread or recurrence of warts
- minor scar formation if the wart is removed
- formation of keloids after removal
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if warts are present and there are signs of complications, or if warts do not respond to over-the-counter treatment and removal is desired.
Also call if new symptoms develop, including change in the appearance, or the development of pain, bleeding, ulceration, or color changes of a wart or any skin lesion .
Warts are a very common skin condition. They frequently appear as single lesions or in small groups. This is a photograph of an unusually severe and extensive case of warts. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)
Warts may occur on any area of the body. These are typical looking warts on the face.
These common warts are situated around the fingernails and may grow under the fingernail. Periungual warts are difficult to treat.
Warts are caused by a viral infection. Plantar warts are commonly seen on the heel and ball of the foot and multiple warts may be present. A callous thickens around the wart and walking may become painful. This is a relatively large plantar wart. Note the black spots which are often seen in warts. They are the capillaries which feed blood to the wart.
A common wart. A circular bandage.
Warts are a very common skin condition. They frequently appear as single lesions or small groups. This is a photograph of an unusually severe and large wart.
Periungual warts are common warts. They are located around the fingernails and may grow under the fingernails. Periungual warts are difficult to treat. Multiple treatments are available but failure rates are high. This is an unusually severe case.
Warts are caused by a virus infection. The warts on the toes in this photograph are typical of warts on the feet. Warts at multiple sites on the same person are common (note the warts on the hand). A person can spread warts from one location on the body to another by a process called autoinoculation.
Warts are caused by a virus infection. Children often develop small, flat warts on the face. There are frequently hundreds of small individual warts present, giving the skin a rough look. They are difficult to treat without scarring, but left alone, they generally clear spontaneously after a few years.
Warts are caused by a virus infection. Many products can be used in attempting to remove warts. Treatments may include solutions, patches, and/or chemicals to freeze or kill the warts.
This person has a wart (verruca) that has built up a cutaneous horn which is made up of hard keratin. This does not slough-off like normal skin cells.
This is a picture of warts around the fingernails (periungual). These are common warts, but are located around the fingernails and may grow under the fingernail. Periungual warts are difficult to treat.
Warts are caused by a virus and can be spread around on the body (autoinnoculation). By scratching, this individual has spread the virus in a line, causing a line of warts to develop. This linear type spread of warts or other conditions is called the Koebner phenomenon.
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