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 any person, at any age, on all parts of the skin, from the face to the feet. These diseases are often contagious, everything depends on a person's immune system.
What causes warts
There is a common belief that touching a frog causes warts to appear. It is 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 common use items;
- in public places (swimming pools, bath houses, etc. ), especially when walking there barefoot;
- in case of skin damage;
- with increased sweating of the hands and feet;
- when in contact with an infected person (handshake, sexual contact, etc. );
- when walking in tight and uncomfortable shoes that cause friction on the skin of the feet;
- when using non-sterile tools (in beauty salons, 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 serious cosmetic defects, which cause psychological discomfort and interfere with leading a full lifestyle.
Warts are usually painless unless they are on the soles of the feet or other parts of the body that are exposed to constant shock or contact. But there are cases of itching and discomfort in the affected area.
How to recognize warts: symptoms and signs
Inexperienced people may confuse warts with other skin growths, for example, moles, calluses, melanoma.
Key differences between warts and moles:
- moles have a dark or black color, while warts have a light color;
- warts grow close to the skin, moles are separate structures, as if glued to the body;
- moles 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 the growth, a painful sensation will occur, and if it peels off, traces of bleeding will be visible under it. Beneath the callus is new, soft skin.
You can tell a wart from a melanoma by color and shape. This dangerous disease is characterized by a heterogeneous red and black color, proliferation and uneven contours.
It is not difficult for a dermatologist to make the correct diagnosis using 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 there is suspicion of a pathogenic process, 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 a benign neoplasm?
Growth consists of cells that partially retain their original function and are able to grow slowly. They are similar in structure to the tissue from which they originate. They can exert pressure on nearby tissue, but do not penetrate it, because they have a capsule in their structure. They respond well to hardware and surgical treatment and, as a rule, do not cause relapse.
There are always congenital formations on the skin - moles or warts, as well as acquired ones. The latter is formed on the surface or in the subcutaneous layer due to metabolic disorders, decreased immunity, or under the influence of viruses.
Common warts (simple, coarse).
A common wart is a dense, dry growth characterized by an uneven surface and roughness to the touch, variable size and round shape. It looks like a hard, keratinized bubble up to 1 cm in diameter, rising significantly above the surface of the skin.
The surface of a common wart is often covered with grooves 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 hands), knees and elbows, sometimes on the face or feet, and very rarely on the mucous membranes of the mouth.
Scatters of small growths may form next to large "parent" warts. Young neoplasms usually remain flesh-colored; over time, they acquire a dirty gray or gray-brown color, less often yellow or pink. This is due to the uneven porous surface, which collects dirt.
Vulgar warts usually do not cause concern: they do not cause unpleasant symptoms, are not painful or itchy. However, they can cause pain if they are in the affected area or come into contact with clothing. The growth may heal on its own over time, especially if it occurs in childhood.
Why do benign formations appear on the skin?
Cosmetologists and dermatologists do not know the exact mechanism of their formation. Often the cause is:
- injury;
- viruses;
- 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-rays;
- hereditary (for example, seborrheic dermatosis).
Most skin lesions are benign
Plantar warts (spike).
Plantar warts are a type of vulgar wart. Manifestations of this disease are most often observed in children and at the age of 20-30 years. Of all skin warts, plantar warts occur in 30%.
Warts on the soles of the feet look like hard, round lumps with papillae in the center. Inside the wart, characteristic black dots are visible - many small thrombosed capillaries. Along the edges are small rolls of keratinized skin. The visible part, rising above the surface of the skin by only 1-2 mm, can reach a diameter of 2 cm and is only a quarter of the total number of plantar warts, which are mainly formed in the inner layer of the epithelium (skin). ).
Externally, the spine resembles a callus. Plantar warts can be differentiated (differentiated) from calluses by visible disturbances in the skin pattern following the wart.
This type of neoplasm usually affects the feet (soles, sides and toes), and less often the palms. It appears on the skin as small whitish skin lesions, sometimes itchy. Over time, the 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 worsens, and can also 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 the pain receptors.
The incubation period of the disease is from a few days to several years. The infection enters the body and goes into waiting mode for a good environment to be activated. 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 grow and multiply, even producing large tumor clusters. This can also cause a temporary loss of a person's ability to work due to unbearable 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 can appear at any time or not at all. The process of their transformation into malignancy has not been fully studied. There is no clear answer to the question of what exactly activates this process. It is believed that mechanical trauma, excessive ultraviolet radiation, metabolic disorders and other factors contribute to degeneration. One way or another, if you have a harmless skin lesion, you should not experiment and rely on chance. Moreover, today's removal does not cause difficulties.
Periungual plantar warts
Periungual warts are small, rough formations with cracks on the surface, located on the hands and feet of a person, that is, near the nail plate or far below it. Outwardly they resemble heads of cauliflower.
They can be flat, pointed or hemispherical. As a rule, periungual warts are gray in color, but they can also be flesh-colored. They are not too dense, like a simple plantar, but have deep enough roots.
This disease mainly affects children and young people. The main factor of infection is microtrauma of the skin around the nail. At particular risk are those who bite nails and stray animals, as well as people who carelessly remove cuticles, use uninfected tools, and work in water without gloves.
This type of neoplasm does not pose a threat to human health; it's just a cosmetic flaw. Periungual plantar warts do not cause discomfort or pain when pressed. However, warts under the nails are not so dangerous - over time, neoplasms cause thinning of the nail plate and further destruction.
In addition, various bacteria and viruses enter through cracks on the surface of the tumor, which are easily formed due to frequent manual work, causing re-infection. Also, when the wart grows, the cracks can cause pain. Cuticles often disappear and a tendency to inflammation (paronychia) develops.
Tumor removal is necessary to stop the proliferation of growths, which easily spread to healthy fingers. Localization of warts under the nail plate makes treatment and removal very difficult. When it appears in childhood or adolescence, it can disappear on its own.
Where do warts come from - they are contagious!
Like herpes, warts are the result of a virus. More than a hundred types of viruses are responsible for the development of warts, most of which are HPV. Since there are oncogenic types of HPV, some formations can be very dangerous in terms of cancer, for example, those that develop around the genitals.
No matter what the wart is or where it is, never scratch, rub or scratch it, as it can send millions of viruses to other parts of the skin where new growths may appear!
It is very easy to pick up the wart virus. 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, just by shaking hands. The penetration of the virus into the body is facilitated by small wounds on the skin.
In children, warts often appear under the nails as a result of sucking or chewing on fingers, which can be painful and difficult to treat. Children can easily catch viruses while playing. As a result, every fourth child has a viral wart on their hands or feet.
Whether we get infected with the virus or not depends on the strength of our immune system. A strong immune system prevents infections that cause warts.
Mosaic plantar warts
Mosaic warts are a special type of neoplasm. They are plaques, called clusters, formed as a result of the combination of many small plantar warts that are close together. The arrangement of the plaques resembles a mosaic (hence the name).
These formations are usually observed in small and localized areas. It can reach a diameter of about 6-7 cm. In the early stages of development, mosaic warts look like small black punctures. As they grow, they look like white, yellowish or light brown cauliflower, with dark spots in the middle. These spots are formed due to thrombosis of blood vessels.
This type of wart is quite rare. It usually affects the hands or soles of the feet, and is especially common under the toes. Unlike simple plantar warts, mosaic warts cause little or no pain when walking because they are flatter and shallower.
Mosaic warts are highly contagious. They are difficult to treat because of the diversity of the focus of viral infection. The success of treatment is facilitated by timely initiation. As a rule, mosaic growth is prone to recurrence even after surgical removal.
Benign and malignant neoplasms of the skin: what is the difference?
Benign pathology does not pose a threat to human life. If they reach a large size, they can interfere with the adequate functioning of various body systems. On the other hand, malignant ones grow quickly and aggressively, penetrate into the surrounding tissue, and form metastases over time. Some damage vital organs and cause death.
Sometimes benign skin tumors change due to external or hereditary reasons. They acquire the ability to degenerate into malignant pathology. Such conditions are called borderline or precancerous. It poses a great danger to health and life, although they do not always have obvious symptoms.
Flat warts (juvenile).
Flat warts are the most common and least problematic type of tumor. It presents as small lenticular lesions (a few mm in diameter) or smooth papular lesions. They can grow either 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;
- moderate - from 10 to 100 painless growth;
- severe - more than 100 neoplasms.
If it is placed in a place that experiences excessive pressure (friction from clothing, shoes, etc. ), it causes pain.
Flat warts are easy to identify and have a white, brown, yellowish or pink color, 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 the flat wart develops, the skin rises slightly (height about 5mm), forming a kind of raised round area.
Tumors usually appear on the face, knees, elbows, back, legs and arms (especially fingers). People of any age fall victim to this disease. But most often it affects children and adolescents (20% of school children have it), hence the second name for warts - juvenile.
In a close-knit group of schoolchildren, 80% showed resistance (resistance) to the virus. In adults, irritation and inflammation after shaving contribute to the proliferation of tumors.
The incubation period of infection can last up to 8 months. Often this disease is only a cosmetic defect. Juvenile warts are painless unless caused by mechanical stress or injury and can sometimes itch, but are highly contagious.
The virus is practically not spread through shared objects; The main route of infection is skin contact. Flat warts multiply easily enough to touch a healthy part of the body to cause the birth of a new formation.
The peculiarity of this type of wart is that in most cases no treatment is required: they can disappear as suddenly as they appear, especially in children. In adults, the disease must be treated, and the virus is highly resistant to drug treatment.
Transmission of warts through direct contact
Minor trauma or maceration leads to dysfunction in the epithelial barrier and subsequent loss of skin integrity, which paves the way for viral infection and wart formation. The incubation period ranges 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 removal of tumors is very effective: the possibility of recurrence is minimal. This is greatly influenced by the severity of the disease.
Warts are removed by layer-by-layer cauterization of the affected area, thanks to the doctor who controls the depth of the effect. At the same time, the laser beam burns the blood vessels, thereby preventing bleeding at the site of exposure.
Three methods of laser freezing are common:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. This laser procedure is more painful. Although the CO2 laser closes the blood vessels, it also kills the wart tissue. In this process, there is a possibility of damage to healthy tissue. Wound healing usually takes longer, and scarring is possible. Efficiency is about 70%.
- Erbium laser. It is characterized by shorter wavelengths. The possibility of scar formation after healing is significantly reduced.
- Pulsed dye laser. This laser is more effective in closing the blood vessels that feed the warts. It does not damage as much healthy tissue as 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%.
| Advantage | Disability |
| The possibility of minimal scar formation (depending on the degree of pathological neglect) | High price |
| Rapid tissue healing | |
| High efficiency method | |
| Minimal damage to healthy tissue | |
| The speed of the procedure |
Wart removal is performed under local anesthesia. A crust remains at the cauterization site, which disappears within 14 days. After the procedure, the patient quickly returns to his normal lifestyle, provided that all the doctor's recommendations are followed.
Filamentous papilloma treatment
In 90% of cases, filamentous warts do not heal on their own (for example, juvenile or abusive warts in childhood can heal on their own).
They need to be treated. Especially if this formation is injured.
For example, if the papilloma is on the neck, it can be injured by a chain or clothing collar. If on the face - from the glasses, under the breast - from the bra. You should be aware that such permanent damage can cause inflammation of this formation and its pain.
Official methods and methods of treatment
Removing filamentous warts with a laser - read a detailed article about laser removal.
The easiest and fastest, yet cheap way to treat this type of papilloma. The doctor directs a laser beam at the skin formation, which evaporates and burns it. You should first numb the skin with novocaine so that the patient does not feel pain. And wear safety glasses on your eyes.
The whole procedure takes no more than 1 minute per wart. The result is a small crust on the wound. After 3-5 days, this crust disappears, and healthy and clean skin is formed in this place.
Removal using the radio wave method - read the article on radio wave surgery.
The principle of operation is as follows: a device for radio wave surgery ("Surgitron") creates high-frequency radio waves, which destroy wart tissue in the same way as a laser, that is, it evaporates.
The whole procedure is carried out in the same sequence as the laser treatment method - first (necessary! ) local anesthesia, then exposure for 1 - 2 minutes (it all depends on the size of the removed formation). The effect of radio wave treatment is the same as the effect of laser.
Filamentous papilloma removal with liquid nitrogen - read information about liquid nitrogen.
This method is popular because of its simplicity. No need to numb the skin with injections, no need for a doctor. This procedure can be performed by any nurse or cosmetic clinic employee.
Operating principle: liquid nitrogen, having a temperature of minus 195 degrees, freezes the wart tissue. A doctor or nurse, by dosing the skin over time, does not allow frostbite to occur in areas of healthy skin adjacent to the pathological formation.
After the procedure is completed, in 90% of cases, the papilloma will disappear on its own within 3-4 days.
Electrocoagulation of filamentous warts.
Nowadays, this method is used less often, because it is a more traumatic method. Papilloma is cut using an electric knife. In this case, burns and wounds form on the skin, which then take longer to heal.
Removal with a radio knife
The most effective modern method of removing warts is removal by radio waves. First of all, this is due to the fact that in this procedure the instrument does not contact the patient's body: it is produced at radio wave frequencies.
Other advantages of radio wave wart removal should be noted:
- complete pain;
- speed of procedure;
- exclusion of edema and infiltration;
- absence of postoperative complications;
- absence of scars at the site of wart removal;
- quick recovery period.
This procedure is also performed under local anesthesia. After exposure, a crust forms on the affected skin area, which disappears by itself within 7-10 days.
Prevention of skin tumors
Unfortunately, medicine has not yet learned to prevent the appearance of various formations on the skin. But dermatologists give their patients the following preventive recommendations:
- do not delay to contact the doctor if a tumor appears on the skin;
- remove formations only after specialists and diagnostics confirm their benign nature;
- avoid excessive exposure to the open sun;
- use sunscreen, especially if you are prone to moles 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 meat, sausages, animal fat, meat products with food stabilizers).