Warts are skin growths in the form of nodules or papillae. It 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 any area of the skin, from the face to the feet. The disease is often contagious, everything depends on the person's immune system.
What causes warts
It is a common belief that touching a frog causes warts to appear. This is a delusion. The causative agent of the disease that causes 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 and common items;
- in public places (swimming pool, spa, etc. ), especially walking barefoot;
- in case of skin damage;
- in case of increased sweating of the hands and feet;
- during contact with an infected person (handshake, sexual contact, etc. );
- walking in tight, uncomfortable shoes that cause friction on the skin of the feet;
- when using non-sterile tools (in a beauty salon, etc. ).
Are warts always dangerous?
Most warts are completely harmless and should, in theory, disappear within a few weeks or up to a month. In this case, patients are more likely to worry about a serious cosmetic defect that causes psychological discomfort and disrupts their entire lifestyle.
Warts are often painless unless they are on the feet or an area of the body that is subject to shock or constant contact. But there are cases when itching and discomfort appear in the affected area.
How to recognize warts: symptoms and signs
An inexperienced person may mistake warts for other skin growths, such as moles, calluses, and melanomas.
The main differences between warts and moles are:
- moles are dark or black in color, while warts are light in color;
- warts grow closely together with the skin, moles are separate structures, as if attached to the body;
- moles are soft and smooth to the touch, warts are hard, hard and rough.
Warts and calluses are also easy to distinguish. When the growth is pressed, painful sensations occur, and when it peels off, traces of bleeding are visible underneath. Beneath the callus is new, sensitive skin.
You can distinguish a wart from a melanoma based on its color and shape. This dangerous disease is characterized by heterogeneous red and black shades, proliferation and uneven contour.
It is not difficult for a dermatologist to establish the correct diagnosis with a visual examination. But a good specialist is not satisfied with a simple inspection. You will certainly use a special magnifying device - a dermatoscope. If a pathogenic process is suspected, it will be necessary to scrape the surface layer.
In the case of anogenital warts (around the anus and on the genitals), a consultation with a gynecologist or proctologist is necessary.
What is the structure of benign tumors
Growths consist of cells that have partially retained their original function and are able to grow slowly. They are similar in structure to the tissues from which they were derived. 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 usually do not relapse.
There are always congenital formations on the skin - moles or warts, as well as acquired ones. The latter develop on the surface or in the subcutaneous layer as a result of metabolic disorders, reduced immunity or a virus.
Common (simple, vulgar) warts
Common warts are dense, dry growths characterized by an uneven and rough surface, variable size and rounded shape. They look like a hard, keratinized bubble, up to 1 cm in diameter, and rises significantly above the surface of the skin.
The surface of common warts is often covered with furrows and bumps, so the new growth vaguely resembles a cauliflower or raspberry with black dots inside.
This is the most common type of wart, accounting for 70% of all such skin tumors. Simple warts can appear on the skin at any age, but most often 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, occasionally on the face or legs, and extremely rarely on the oral mucosa.
In addition to the large "parent" wart, a scattering of small growths can form. Young tumors usually remain flesh-colored, with time they acquire a dirty gray or gray-brown shade, less often yellow or pink. This is due to their uneven porous surface, which accumulates with impurities.
Vulgar warts usually do not cause concern: they do not cause unpleasant symptoms, do not hurt, do not itch. However, they can cause pain if they are exposed to impact or come into contact with clothing. The growths may heal on their own over time, especially if they appear in childhood.
Why do benign growths appear on the skin?
Beauticians and dermatologists do not know the exact mechanism of their formation. Most often the reason is:
- injuries;
- viruses;
- systemic diseases of the body, such as xanthomas, occur due to excess fat in the blood;
- long-term skin diseases;
- exposure to aggressive substances;
- excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
- x-rays;
- heredity (for example, seborrheic dermatitis).
Most skin lesions are benign
Plantar (spiny) warts
Plantar warts are a type of vulgar warts. The manifestation of the disease is most often observed in children and at the age of 20-30. Among all skin warts, plantar warts occur in 30%.
Warts on the soles of the feet appear as hard, round nodules with papillae in the center. Inside the wart, you can see characteristic black dots - many small thrombosed capillaries. Along the edges is a small coil of keratinized skin. The diameter of the visible part, rising only 1-2 mm above the surface of the skin, can reach 2 cm and is only a quarter of the total size of the plantar wart, which is mainly formed in the deep layers of the epidermis (skin). ).
Externally, the spine resembles a callus. A plantar wart can be distinguished (differentiated) from a callus by the visible interruption of the skin pattern corresponding to the wart.
This type of neoplasm usually affects the feet (soles, sides and toes), less often the palms. They appear on the skin as small, whitish, needle-like lesions, sometimes itchy. Over time, their surface becomes rougher and their color changes - from yellow to dark brown.
Plantar warts in themselves do not pose a threat to health, but they cause considerable discomfort to a person while walking, cause pain, which often intensifies and may even bleed. This is due to the location and growth characteristics of the tumor. As the spine grows inward, the weight of the body compresses the pain receptors when walking.
The incubation period of the disease ranges from a few days to several years. The infection enters the body and goes into a waiting mode for the favorable environment to activate. Plantar warts regress in 50% of cases without treatment. But this process takes from 8 months to a year and a half.
Without treatment, plantar warts enlarge and multiply, even to the point of forming large groups of tumors. This can even lead to a temporary loss of a person's ability to work due to unbearable pain that prevents them from walking.
Based on the characteristics and location of the lesion, plantar warts can be divided into 3 types:
- simple;
- periungual;
- mosaic.
Do benign formations hide the danger?
Benign tumors are unpredictable structures that may appear at any time or not at all. The process of their transformation into malignancy has not been fully investigated. There is no clear answer to the question of what exactly activates this process. Mechanical trauma, excessive ultraviolet radiation, metabolic disorders, and other factors are thought to contribute to degeneration. Either way, if you have a benign skin lesion, don't experiment and rely on chance. Moreover, today, removal does not cause difficulties.
Periungual plantar warts
Warts around the nails are small, rough growths with cracks on the surface and are found on the hands and feet of a person, namely near or deep under the nail plate. Outwardly, they resemble heads of cauliflower.
They can be flat, pointed or hemispherical. The surrounding warts are usually gray, but can also be flesh-colored. They are not very dense, like simple soles, but they have rather deep roots.
This disease mainly affects children and young people. The main factor of infection is microtraumas of the skin around the nail. Those who bite their nails and pet stray animals, as well as those who carelessly remove cuticles, use unsanitized tools, and work in water without gloves are particularly at risk.
This type of neoplasm does not pose a threat to human health, it is primarily just an aesthetic defect. Periungual plantar warts do not cause discomfort or pain when pressed. However, the wart under the nail is not so harmless - over time, the neoplasm causes exhaustion and further destruction of the nail plate.
In addition, various bacteria and viruses enter through the cracks on the surface of the growths, which are easily formed as a result of frequent manual work, causing re-infection. Also, as the warts grow, the cracks can cause pain. The cuticle is often lost and a tendency to inflammation (paronychia) develops.
Removal of the tumor is necessary to stop the proliferation of growths that easily spread to healthy fingers. The localization of warts under the nail plate makes treatment and removal very difficult. When it appears in childhood or adolescence, it may go away 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 formation of warts, most of which are HPV. Since there are oncogenic types of HPV, some growths can be particularly dangerous for cancer, such as those that develop around the genitals.
No matter what the warts are or where they are located, never pick, rub or scratch them as they can transfer millions of viruses to other areas of the skin where new growths can appear!
It is very easy to pick up wart viruses. 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 be spread through direct physical contact, just by shaking hands. The entry of viruses into the body is facilitated by small changes in the skin.
Children often develop warts under the nails as a result of finger sucking or chewing, which can be painful and difficult to treat. Children can easily pick up viruses while playing. As a result, one in four children have viral warts on their hands or feet.
Whether or not we get infected with the virus depends on the strength of our immune system. A strong immune system suppresses the infection that causes warts.
Mosaic plantar warts
Mosaic warts are a special type of tumor. Plaques, so-called clusters, which are formed as a result of the fusion of many plantar warts pressed closely together. The arrangement of the boards resembles a mosaic (hence their name).
This formation is usually observed in a small and localized area. Its diameter can reach 6-7 cm. In the early stages of development, mosaic warts look like small black bumps. During their development, they take on the appearance of white, yellowish or light brown cauliflower with dark spots in the middle. These spots are caused by 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. Due to the multitude of foci of viral infection, they are difficult to treat. The success of treatment is facilitated by starting it on time. As a general rule, mosaic growths tend to recur even after surgical removal.
Benign and malignant tumors on the skin: what's the difference?
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 quickly and aggressively, invade the surrounding tissues and metastasize 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 pathologies. Such conditions are called borderline or precancerous, they pose a great threat to health and life, although they do not always have pronounced symptoms.
Flat (juvenile) warts
Flat warts are a fairly common type of tumor and are the least problematic. They appear as small lenticular lesions (several mm in diameter) or smooth papular lesions. They can grow individually, which is quite rare, or in large numbers, close to each other.
The disease has several stages:
- mild - one or more painless warts;
- medium - 10-100 pain-free increase;
- severe - more than 100 tumors.
If they are located in places where excess pressure is experienced (friction of clothes, shoes, etc. ), they cause pain.
Flat warts are easy to identify and have a white, brown, yellowish, or pink shade similar to the color of the flesh. They are about the size of a pinhead and are smoother and flatter than other types of warts. In fact, at the point where a flat wart develops, the skin rises slightly (about 5 mm high), forming a kind of raised circular area.
Growths typically appear on the face, knees, elbows, back, legs, and arms (especially the fingers). People of any age can become victims of this disease. But it most often affects children and adolescents (20% of schoolchildren have it), hence the second name of warts - juvenile.
In a narrow group of schoolchildren, 80% show resistance (resistance) to the virus. In adults, irritation and inflammation after shaving contribute to the growth of tumors.
The incubation period of the infection can last up to 8 months. The disease is mostly just an aesthetic defect. Juvenile warts are painless unless caused by mechanical pressure or injury and can sometimes itch, but are highly contagious.
The virus practically does not spread 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 give birth to a new formation.
The peculiarity of this type of warts is that in most cases no treatment is required: 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.
Warts are transmitted by direct contact
Minor trauma or maceration leads to epithelial barrier dysfunction and subsequent loss of skin integrity, opening the way to viral infection and wart formation. The incubation period ranges from 3 weeks to 8 months after exposure. Spontaneous regression is observed in most cases.
Laser wart removal
Today, laser surgery is one of the best ways to get rid of warts. It is a painless and safe procedure that can be used in areas of maximum sensitivity. Laser removal of tumors is very effective: the probability 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, thereby preventing bleeding at the site of exposure.
Three methods of laser coagulation are common:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. Procedures with this laser are more painful. Although the CO2 laser closes the blood vessels, it also destroys the wart tissue. In this process, there is a possibility of damage to healthy tissues. 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 scarring is significantly reduced after healing.
- Pulsed dye laser. This laser more effectively seals off the blood vessels that feed the wart. It does not damage much of the healthy tissue like the CO2 laser. This is the only type of laser that can be used on children. The effectiveness of this treatment method is about 95%.
| Advantages | Mistakes |
| Minimal probability of scar formation (depending on the degree of neglect of the pathology) | High price |
| Fast tissue healing | |
| High efficiency of the method | |
| Minimal damage to healthy tissue | |
| The speed of the procedure |
The wart is removed 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.
Treatment of filamentous papillomas
In 90% of cases, thread warts do not heal on their own (just like childhood juvenile or vulgar warts can heal on their own).
They need to be treated. Especially if these formations are damaged.
For example, if the papilloma is on the neck, it can be injured by a chain or collar. If on the face - from glasses, under the breast - from a bra. You should know that such permanent damage can lead to inflammation and pain of this formation.
Official treatment methods and methods
Laser removal of thread warts - read a detailed article on laser removal.
It is the simplest and fastest, and at the same time cheap, way to treat this type of papilloma. The doctor directs the laser beam at the skin growth, which evaporates and burns it. First, you need to numb 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 bit of a crust on the wound. After 3-5 days, this crust will come off and healthy and clean skin will form in this place.
Removal by radio wave method - read the article about radio wave surgery.
The principle of operation is as follows: a radio wave surgical device ("Surgitron") creates a high-frequency radio wave, which, like a laser, destroys the wart tissue, i. e. vaporizes it.
The entire procedure is performed in the same sequence as the laser treatment method - first (necessary! ) local anesthesia, then 1-2 minutes of exposure (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 treatment.
Removal of filiform papillomas with liquid nitrogen - read information about liquid nitrogen.
This method is popular because of its simplicity. No need to anesthetize the skin with injections, no need for a doctor to be present. The procedure can be performed by any nurse or cosmetic clinic worker.
Operating principle: liquid nitrogen at minus 195 degrees freezes the wart tissue. By dosing the effect on the skin over time, the doctor or nurse does not allow frostbite to occur in adjacent, healthy skin areas around the pathological formation.
After the end of the procedure, in 90% of cases, papillomas disappear by themselves within 3-4 days.
Electrocoagulation of filiform warts.
Today, this method is used much less often, since it is a more traumatic method. Papillomas are cut out with an electric knife. In such cases, a burn and wound occurs on the skin, the healing of which takes longer.
Removal with a radio knife
The most effective modern method of getting rid of warts is removal with radio waves. This is primarily due to the fact that in this procedure the instruments do not come into contact with the patient's body: they are produced using radio frequency.
Additional benefits of radio wave wart removal should also be noted:
- complete pain relief;
- the speed of the procedure;
- exclusion of edema and infiltration;
- absence of postoperative complications;
- absence of scars at the site of wart removal;
- quick rehabilitation period.
The procedure is also performed under local anesthesia. After exposure, a crust forms on the affected area of the skin, which disappears by itself within 7-10 days.
Prevention of skin tumors
Unfortunately, medical science 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 seeing a doctor if a tumor appears on the skin;
- remove the formations only if a specialist and diagnostics confirm their benign nature;
- avoid excessive sun exposure;
- 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 meats, sausages, animal fats, meat products with food stabilizers).