Warts are skin growths. They are classified by how they look and where they occur. Common warts occur on hands, arms, and legs. These warts often look like little rough cauliflowers. Periungual warts occur around fingernails. Flat warts, on the face, knees, and elbows of children and young women, are slightly raised and flesh colored. Genital warts on genital and rectal areas are often sexually transmitted. Plantar warts on bottoms of feet are often passed along by bare feet. Filiform warts are small with hairlike pieces.
Warts are very common, especially in people 10 to 20 years old. Most warts (up to 65%) disappear on their own without treatment in 2 years. They often come back, even when treated.
The viruses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) group cause warts. Different types of viruses tend to infect different body parts. Warts can be passed from one person to another. Scratching and picking warts also spreads the infection. Skin that is moist from soaking or that has cuts or scratches is more likely to become infected by virus and form warts.
Most warts are little more than unpleasant growths on skin. They sometimes catch and bleed if they’re on the face and head. Plantar warts may cause pain and tenderness when stepping on the foot.
The health care provider will diagnose warts by examining the skin. If the diagnosis is unclear, the health care provider may remove a small piece of wart (biopsy) for study with a microscope.
Treatment is usually but not always successful, and not all warts need treatment. Treatment itself can often cause problems, such as pain, infection, and scarring.
Warts causing no pain may need no treatment. Spreading the virus should be avoided, for example, by making sure the wart is covered when using community swimming pools, locker rooms, or showers.
Treatment depends somewhat on the wart location. Common warts on arms, hands, and legs can be treated with salicylic acid in solution. The solution is put on warts each night and each morning dead skin is peeled off.
Plantar warts can be treated with 40% salicylic acid plasters. Flat warts are often treated by skin peeling using tretinoin cream or 5-fluorouracil. Genital warts almost always need a doctor’s visit for both partners. Treatment is usually with a blistering agent. If these treatments don’t work, your health care provider may prescribe stronger medicine, such as imiquimod cream or trichloroacetic acid.
Other treatments include freezing, injecting warts with drugs that stimulate the immune (infection-fighting) system, surgically cutting them, and burning them with a laser or electricity.
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Copyright © 2016 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc.
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