Warts are skin growths in the form of nodules or papillae. This is the most common skin pathology, occurring in more than 90% of the world's population. Warts can appear on anyone, at any age, on absolutely all areas of the skin, from the face to the feet. The disease is usually contagious, it all depends on the person's immune system.
What causes warts
There is a common belief that touching a frog causes warts to appear. It's an illusion. The causative agent of the disease, which results in the formation of warts, is human papillomavirus infection. According to statistics, this infection causes about 20% of all cancers.
The risk of HPV infection increases significantly:
- when using other people's personal hygiene items and items of common use;
- in public places (swimming pool, bathhouse, etc. ), especially when walking barefoot;
- in case of skin damage;
- with increased sweating of the hands and feet;
- when coming into contact with an infected person (handshake, sexual contact, etc. );
- when walking in tight, uncomfortable shoes that cause friction on the skin of the foot;
- when using non-sterilized instruments (in a beauty salon, etc. ).
Are warts always dangerous?
Most warts are completely harmless and can theoretically disappear within a few weeks or at most a month. In this case, patients are more likely to worry about a serious cosmetic defect, which causes psychological discomfort and interferes with a full lifestyle.
Warts are usually painless unless they are on the soles of the feet or another part of the body subject to shock or constant contact. But there are cases of itching and discomfort in the affected area.
How to recognize warts: symptoms and signs
An inexperienced person may confuse warts with other skin growths, for example, moles, calluses, melanomas.
The main differences between warts and moles:
- spots have a dark or black hue, while warts are light in color;
- warts grow tightly together with the skin, the spots are separate structures, as if glued to the body;
- spots are soft and smooth to the touch, warts are hard, hard and rough.
It is also easy to distinguish a wart from a callus. When pressing on the growth, painful sensations will occur, and if it comes loose, traces of hemorrhages will be visible underneath. Underneath the callus is new, smooth skin.
You can tell a wart from a melanoma by its color and shape. This dangerous disease is characterized by heterogeneous shades of red and black, proliferation and irregular contour.
It is not difficult for a dermatologist to make the correct diagnosis through a visual examination. But a good specialist will not be satisfied with just a simple inspection. He will definitely use a special magnifying device - a dermatoscope. If a pathogenic process is suspected, scraping of the surface layer will be necessary.
In the case of anogenital warts (located around the anus and on the genitals), consultation with a gynecologist or proctologist is necessary.
What is the structure of benign neoplasms
The growths consist of cells that have partially retained their original functions and are capable of growing slowly. They are similar in structure to the tissues from which they originated. They can exert pressure on nearby tissues, but do not penetrate them, as they have a capsule in their structure. They respond well to hardware and surgical treatment and, as a rule, do not cause relapses.
There are always congenital formations on the skin - spots or warts, as well as acquired ones. The latter are formed on the surface or in the subcutaneous layer as a result of metabolic disorders, decreased immunity or under the influence of a virus.
Common warts (simple, vulgar)
Common warts are dense, dry growths characterized by an irregular surface that is rough to the touch, variable size and rounded shape. They look like a hard, keratinized blister up to 1 cm in diameter, rising significantly above the surface of the skin.
The surface of common warts is often covered in ridges and projections, which is why the new growth vaguely resembles a cauliflower or raspberry with black dots inside.
This is the most common type of wart, accounting for up to 70% of all such skin neoplasms. Simple warts can appear on the skin at any age, but most often they affect children and young people. This is due to the fact that they have weaker immunity than adults.
Common warts usually appear on the hands (fingers and backs of the hands), knees and elbows, sometimes on the face or feet and extremely rarely on the mucous membrane of the mouth.
A series of small growths may form near the large "parent" wart. Young neoplasms usually remain skin-colored and over time acquire a dirty gray or grayish-brown, less often yellow or pinkish hue. This is due to its uneven porous surface, which accumulates dirt.
Vulgar warts are generally not a cause for concern: they do not cause unpleasant symptoms, are not painful or itchy. However, they can cause pain if they are in areas subject to impacts or in contact with clothing. The growths may heal spontaneously over time, especially if they occur in childhood.
Why do benign formations appear on the skin?
Cosmetologists and dermatologists do not know the exact mechanism of its formation. Most often the cause is:
- injuries;
- virus;
- systemic diseases of the body, for example xanthomas, occur due to excess fat in the blood;
- long-term skin diseases;
- exposure to aggressive substances;
- excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
- X ray;
- heredity (e. g. seborrheic dermatosis).
Most skin lesions are benign
Plantar warts (spikes)
Plantar warts are a type of common wart. The manifestation of the disease is most frequently observed in children and those aged between 20 and 30 years. Of all skin warts, plantar warts occur in 30%.
Warts on the soles of the feet appear as hard, round lumps with papillae in the middle. Inside the wart, characteristic black dots are visible - many small thrombosed capillaries. At the edges there is a small roll of keratinized skin. The visible part, rising above the surface of the skin by only 1-2 mm, can reach 2 cm in diameter and is only a quarter of the total size of the plantar wart, which forms mainly in the deep layers of the epithelium (skin).
Externally, the spine resembles a callus. A plantar wart can be differentiated (distinguished) from a callus by the visible disruption of the pattern of the skin in accordance with the wart.
This type of neoplasia usually affects the feet (soles, sides and toes) and less commonly the palms of the hands. They appear on the skin as small, pinpoint, whitish skin lesions, sometimes itchy. Over time, its surface becomes rougher and changes color - from yellow to dark brown.
Plantar warts themselves do not pose a threat to health, but when walking they cause significant discomfort to a person, cause pain, which often intensifies and can even bleed. This is due to the location of the tumor and the specifics of its growth. As the spine grows inward, the weight of the body when walking compresses pain receptors.
The incubation period for the disease varies from several days to several years. The infection enters the body and goes into standby mode for the activation of a favorable environment. Plantar warts regress without treatment in 50% of cases. But this process lasts from 8 months to a year and a half.
Without treatment, plantar warts will enlarge and multiply, to the point of producing large clusters of tumors. This can even lead to a temporary loss of a person's ability to work due to excruciating pain that prevents walking.
Based on the characteristics of the lesion and its location, plantar warts are divided into 3 types:
- simple;
- periungual;
- mosaic.
Do benign formations hide danger?
Benign neoplasms are unpredictable structures that may or may not manifest at any time. The process of their transformation into evil has not been fully understood. There is no clear answer to the question of what exactly activates this process. Mechanical trauma, excess ultraviolet radiation, metabolic disorders and other factors are believed to contribute to degeneration. One way or another, if you have a benign skin lesion, you should not experiment and rely on chance. Moreover, today removal does not cause difficulties.
Periungual plantar warts
Nail warts are small, rough formations with fissures on the surface, located on a person's hands and feet, particularly near the nail plate or deep below it. Externally, they resemble cauliflower heads.
They can be flat, pointed or hemispherical. As a rule, nailfold warts are gray, but they can also be skin-colored. They are not very dense, like simple plants, but they have quite deep roots.
This disease mainly affects children and young people. The main factor for contracting the infection is skin microtraumas around the nail. Those who bite their nails and pet stray animals are particularly at risk, as well as people who carelessly remove cuticles, use undisinfected tools and work in water without gloves.
This type of neoplasm does not pose a threat to human health, being mainly just a cosmetic defect. Nailfold plantar warts do not cause discomfort or pain when pressed. However, a wart under the nail is not so harmless - over time, the neoplasm causes depletion of the nail plate and its subsequent destruction.
In addition, various bacteria and viruses enter through cracks on the surface of the lumps, which form easily due to frequent manual work, causing reinfection. Additionally, as warts grow, the cracks can cause pain. The cuticle is often lost and a tendency to become inflamed (paronychia) develops.
Removal of the tumor is necessary to stop the proliferation of growths, which easily spread to healthy fingers. The location of the wart under the nail plate makes treatment and removal very difficult. When it appears in childhood or adolescence, it may disappear on its own.
Where do warts come from - they are contagious!
Just like herpes, warts are the result of a virus. More than a hundred types of viruses are responsible for the development of warts, the majority of which are HPV. Since there are oncogenic types of HPV, some formations can be especially dangerous in terms of cancer, for example, those that develop around the genitals.
No matter what the warts are or where they are located, never scratch, rub or scratch them as they can transmit millions of viruses to other areas of the skin where new growths can appear!
It is very easy to get viruses from warts. For example, infected human epithelial cells end up in swimming pool water. They swim in the water and easily find their prey. The wart virus can also spread through direct physical contact, simply by shaking hands. The penetration of viruses into the body is facilitated by small injuries to the skin.
In children, warts often appear under the nails as a result of finger sucking or chewing, which can be painful and difficult to treat. Children can easily catch viruses while playing. As a result, one in four children has viral warts on their hands or feet.
Whether we become infected with the virus or not depends on how strong our immune system is. A strong immune system suppresses the infection that causes warts.
Mosaic plantar warts
Mosaic warts are a special type of neoplasm. These are plaques, the so-called clusters, formed as a result of the fusion of many small plantar warts tightly pressed against each other. The arrangement of the plates resembles a mosaic (hence its name).
This formation is usually observed in a small, localized area. It can reach a diameter of around 6 to 7 cm. In the early stages of development, mosaic warts look like small black holes. As they develop, they take on the appearance of a white, yellowish or light brown cauliflower, with dark spots in the center. These spots are formed due to thrombosis of blood vessels.
This type of wart is quite rare. They usually affect the hands or soles of the feet and are especially common under the toes. Unlike simple plantar warts, mosaic warts cause little or no pain when walking because they are flatter and more superficial.
Mosaic warts are highly contagious. They are difficult to treat due to the multiplicity of foci of viral infection. The success of treatment is facilitated by its timely initiation. As a rule, mosaic growths are prone to recurrence even after surgical removal.
Benign and malignant skin neoplasms: what are the differences?
Benign pathologies do not pose a threat to human life. If they reach large sizes, they can interfere with the proper functioning of various body systems. In contrast, malignant ones grow rapidly and aggressively, penetrate surrounding tissues, and form metastases over time. Some damage vital organs and cause death.
Sometimes benign skin tumors change due to external or hereditary causes. They acquire the ability to degenerate into malignant pathologies. Such conditions are called borderline or precancerous and pose a great danger to health and life, although they do not always present pronounced symptoms.
Flat warts (juvenile)
Flat warts are a very common and least problematic type of tumor. They present as small lenticular lesions (several mm in diameter) or smooth papular lesions. They can grow singly, which is quite rare, or in large numbers, close to each other.
There are several stages of the disease:
- mild – one or several painless warts;
- medium – from 10 to 100 painless growths;
- severe – more than 100 neoplasms.
If they are located in places that suffer excessive pressure (friction from clothes, shoes, etc. ), they cause pain.
Flat warts are easily identified and have a white, brown, yellowish or pinkish hue, similar to the color of flesh. They are about the size of a pinhead and, compared to other types of warts, are smoother and flatter. In fact, at the point where a flat wart develops, the skin rises slightly (to a height of about 5 mm), forming a sort of raised circular area.
The growths often appear on the face, knees, elbows, back, legs, and arms (especially the fingers). People of any age fall victim to this disease. But most often it affects children and adolescents (20% of schoolchildren have it), hence the second name of the warts - juvenile.
In a close group of schoolchildren, 80% are resistant (resistance) to the virus. In adults, irritation and inflammation after shaving contribute to the proliferation of tumors.
The incubation period for infection can last up to 8 months. Mostly the disease is just a cosmetic defect. Juvenile warts are painless unless caused by mechanical pressure or injury, and can sometimes be itchy, but they are extremely contagious.
The virus is practically not transmitted through shared objects, the main route of infection is skin contact. Flat warts multiply so easily that it is enough to touch a healthy part of the body to cause a new formation to appear.
The peculiarity of this type of wart is that in most cases no treatment is necessary: they can disappear as suddenly as they appeared, especially in children. In adults, the disease must be treated and the virus is very resistant to drug treatment.
Transmission of warts by direct contact
Minor trauma or maceration leads to epithelial barrier dysfunction and subsequent loss of skin integrity, which paves the way for viral infection and wart formation. The incubation period varies from 3 weeks to 8 months after exposure. In most cases, spontaneous regression is observed.
Laser wart removal
Today, laser surgery is one of the best ways to get rid of warts. This is a painless and safe procedure that can be used in areas of maximum sensitivity. Laser tumor removal is very effective: the likelihood of relapse is minimal. This is significantly influenced by the severity of the disease.
Warts are removed by layer-by-layer cauterization of the affected area, thanks to which the doctor controls the depth of the effect. At the same time, the laser beam cauterizes the blood vessels, thus preventing bleeding at the site of exposure.
Three laser coagulation methods are common:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. Procedures with this laser are more painful. Although the CO2 laser seals the blood vessels, it also kills the wart tissue. In this process, there is the possibility of damage to healthy tissue. Wound healing usually takes longer and scarring is possible. The efficiency is about 70%.
- Erbium laser. It is characterized by a shorter wavelength. The likelihood of scar formation after healing is significantly reduced.
- Pulsed dye laser. This laser more effectively seals the blood vessels that feed the wart. It does not damage much of the healthy tissue like the CO2 laser. It is also the only type of laser approved for use on children. The effectiveness of this treatment method is about 95%.
| Benefits | Imperfections |
| Minimum probability of scar formation (depending on the degree of neglect of the pathology) | High Price |
| Rapid tissue healing | |
| High efficiency of the method | |
| Minimal damage to healthy tissue | |
| Speed of the procedure |
Wart removal is performed under local anesthesia. A scab remains at the cauterization site, which disappears within 14 days. After the procedure, the patient quickly returns to their normal lifestyle, as long as all the doctor's recommendations are followed.
Treatment of filamentous papillomas
In 90% of cases, filamentous warts do not heal on their own (as, for example, juvenile or common warts in childhood can heal on their own).
They need to be treated. Especially if these formations are injured.
For example, if the papilloma is on the neck, it can be injured by a chain or clothing collar. If on the face - in glasses, under the breasts - in a bra. You should be aware that this permanent damage can lead to inflammation of this formation and its pain.
Official methods and treatment methods
Removing filamentous warts with a laser - read a detailed article on laser removal.
The simplest, fastest and most economical way to treat this type of papilloma. The doctor directs the laser beam at the skin formation, which evaporates and burns. You must first anesthetize the skin with novocaine so that the patient does not feel pain. And wear safety glasses on your eyes.
The entire procedure takes no more than 1 minute per wart. The consequences are a small scab on the wound. After 3-5 days, this crust comes off and healthy, clean skin forms in this place.
Removal by radio wave method - read the article about radio wave surgery.
The principle of operation is as follows: a device for radio wave surgery ("Surgitron") creates a high-frequency radio wave, which destroys the wart tissue in the same way as a laser, that is, evaporates it.
The entire procedure is carried out in the same sequence as the laser treatment method - first (mandatory! ) local anesthesia, then exposure for 1-2 minutes (it all depends on the size of the formation to be removed). The consequences of radio wave treatment are exactly the same as those of laser.
Removal of filamentous papillomas with liquid nitrogen - read information about liquid nitrogen.
This method is popular due to its simplicity. There is no need to anesthetize the skin with injections or the presence of a doctor. The procedure can be performed by any nurse or employee of an aesthetic clinic.
Working principle: liquid nitrogen, with a temperature of minus 195 degrees, freezes the wart tissue. A doctor or nurse, when dosing the effect on the skin over time, does not allow freezing to occur on adjacent healthy areas of the skin around the pathological formation.
After completing the procedure, in 90% of cases, papillomas will disappear on their own within 3-4 days.
Electrocoagulation of filamentous warts.
Nowadays, this method is used much less frequently, as it is a more traumatic method. Papillomas are excised with an electric knife. In this case, a burn and wound form on the skin, which takes longer to heal.
Removal with radium knife
The most effective modern method of getting rid of warts is radio wave removal. Firstly, this is due to the fact that in this procedure the instruments do not come into contact with the patient's body: they are produced at radio wave frequencies.
Other advantages of radio wave wart removal should be noted:
- complete absence of pain;
- speed of the procedure;
- exclusion of edema and infiltration;
- absence of postoperative complications;
- absence of scars at the site of wart removal;
- rapid rehabilitation period.
The procedure is also performed under local anesthesia. After exposure, a scab forms on the affected area of the skin, which disappears on its own within 7 to 10 days.
Prevention of skin tumors
Unfortunately, medicine has not yet learned how to prevent the appearance of various formations on the skin. But dermatologists give their patients the following preventive recommendations:
- do not delay seeing a doctor if a tumor appears on the skin;
- remove formations only after a specialist and diagnosis confirm their benign nature;
- avoid excessive exposure to the sun;
- use sunscreen, especially if you are prone to blemishes and hyperpigmentation;
- do not come into contact with chemically active and carcinogenic substances;
- do not eat foods that contribute to the development of cancer (smoked meats, sausages, animal fats, meat products with food stabilizers).