Overview:
Also known as Verruca vulgaris, warts
are benign (non cancerous) growths on the
skin that are caused by the human
papillomavirus (HPV). Transmission
usually occurs via direct contact with an
infected person where the virus enters the body
via tiny cuts & breaks in the skin. The virus
causes the skin cells to multiply rapidly.
There are several types of warts, including
plantar warts which are found on the soles
of the feet &
genital warts, which, as the name would
suggest, are found on the genitals. There are over 100
types of HPV that affect different parts of the
body. Type 2 being responsible for most
cases of the common wart.
Symptoms appear weeks or months after initial
exposure, making it difficult to determine how
or where infection occurred. Common warts can
grow on any part of the body but they are most
commonly found on the hands, fingers & knees.
Signs of
warts:
-
Small,
raised, flesh coloured growths with a
"cauliflower" type appearance. They are
usually painless.
-
Warts may
appear in singular or multiples.
-
They range in
size from 1mm to up to 10mm wide.
How are warts
diagnosed?
Diagnosis may be
made based on clinical appearance, however there are other
skin conditions that look similar to warts so
your doctor may wish to perform a biopsy to
confirm diagnosis.
How are warts
treated?
Warts will disappear on their own in most
cases. This will generally take up to 2 years.
Therefore treatment is not necessary unless the
warts are causing undue discomfort or
embarrassment. If warts don't disappear, or they cause
discomfort, then there are several ways to
remove the warts. These include;
- Over the counter topical preparations - Available from
your chemist, these are painted on to the
wart. Most over the counter preparations
contain salicylic acid. Care is needed to avoid applying the
paint to normal skin as this will cause
burning.
- Prescription topical preparations
- These are also painted onto the wart.
There are several types of prescription only
preparation, your doctor can advise on the
most suitable one.
- Cryosurgery - Freezing the warts off
with liquid nitrogen.
- Surgical excision.
- Laser therapy - Laser is used to
burn off the warts.
- Duct tape occlusion therapy (DTOT)
- This involves application of duct tape
to the affected area, it is believed that
this suffocates the wart. The tape is left
on for several days & then removed. The area
is soaked in water & then debrided with a
pumice stone. This process is repeated until
the wart is gone.
- Immunotherapy - This is a method
in which the immune system is stimulated in
order to fight the virus.
