There are very few people who do not face a problem like warts on the body. These outgrowths can occur in the body of adolescents, adults and the elderly. Usually warts are just a cosmetic problem and affect a person's appearance. And only in rare cases do these formations pose a real threat to health.
What is a wart?
Our skin has a smooth surface. However, in some cases, protruding skin growths may appear. They are called warts. These are usually permanent formations that do not change for many years.
The mechanism of appearance of warts is the growth of the upper layer of the skin. Formation sizes range from 1mm to several centimeters. This parameter depends on the type of formation and its location on the skin. The fusion of several warts is often seen. The color of the skin growths is usually flesh, but they can take on other shades, for example pink or brown.
Medicine classifies warts as benign neoplasms. They do not grow and do not penetrate the surrounding tissues.
In the international classification of diseases, the following codes are assigned to warts:
- B07 - viral wart,
- A63. 0 - venereal wart,
- L82 seborrheic keratoma
Most types of warts are viral, sexually transmitted warts are venereal, and seborrheic keratomas are senile warts that are not infectious in nature.
The following skin lesions must be distinguished from warts:
- nevi (moles),
- calluses
- malignant tumors,
- basal cell carcinoma,
- wide warts resulting from syphilis.
Some of these formations can be life threatening. Therefore, if any suspicious formation appears on the body, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Why do warts appear?
Usually a viral infection is the cause of warts. The process of wart appearance occurs as follows. The human papillomavirus enters skin cells and causes them to divide rapidly. As a result, a growth or papilloma develops on the skin. However, there are types of warts that the virus has nothing to do with.
Strictly speaking, papilloma does not always appear on the skin. Often these formations are found on the mucous membranes, inside the bladder, in the larynx, on the cervix, etc. However, it is customary to call warts only papillomas that appear on the skin.
Warts can be located anywhere on the body. However, some species have their favorite places. For example, warts usually form on the groin and anus; skin tags prefer skin folds on the upper body.
The human papillomavirus does not multiply outside the body. However, it can persist for a long time in hot and humid places. That is why people can often get infected when visiting baths, saunas, swimming pools. But the virus does not live long in the open air, it is neutralized by ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
According to studies, approximately 80% of the world's population is infected with some type of human papillomavirus. There are two hundred strains of these viruses in total. Some viruses are relatively harmless, others lead to papillomas, and still others can even cause malignant tumors. Some strains can be passed from person to person. Consequently, certain types of warts can be contagious. But the transmission of the disease from frogs and toads, as well as from other representatives of the fauna, contrary to popular belief, is impossible. This is explained by the fact that animal papillomaviruses do not multiply in the human body.
You can become infected with a new type of virus through personal contact, shaking hands, sharing household items (eg towels), visiting public places (swimming pools, baths, saunas, transportation), through minor injuries, and sexually .
The papilloma virus that has entered the body does not always cause the onset of the disease. Usually the factors associated with the disease are stress, decreased immunity (for example, due to infectious diseases). At the same time, the virus can remain in the body for several years and wait behind the scenes.
Varieties of warts.
Doctors distinguish several types of warts:
- ordinary (vulgar),
- juvenile (flat),
- pointed (condylomata),
- senile,
- like a thread.
Birthmarks (nevi) must be separated from these types of warts. Usually birthmarks do not protrude from the surface of the skin and are dark in color, although there are exceptions.
Vulgar warts
This type of warts occurs in 70% of cases. It is caused by the papilloma virus. Outwardly, vulgar (ordinary) papillomas look like small semicircular formations on the surface of the skin. They are usually completely painless. The size of the formations is from several mm to 1 cm, their surface is usually uneven, uneven, often resembling the surface of a cauliflower. Color: flesh color, greyish, yellowish brown. Frequent locations: hands, face, fingers, lips, knees, elbows. The mucous membranes are rarely affected.
Common papillomas can often go away on their own. The peculiarity of this type of papillomas is that they often do not grow individually, but in groups. You can often find a large papilloma, around which small ones grow. If you remove the larger (maternal) papilloma, the smaller ones usually disappear.
Common papillomas can occur at any age. They often occur in school-age children.
Adolescent warts
This type of papillomas usually occurs in children and adolescents. But in people of mature age, they can also appear. These papillomas are also often called flat papillomas. They represent only 4% of all warts.
They can often be found at hand. They can also be seen on the feet and face, near the nails, between the toes, on the legs, and on the neck. They are often associated with hormonal changes in the body. Like common papillomas, they do not pose a significant danger and can go away on their own. They usually do not cause physical discomfort, but they can make the appearance worse.
Flat papillomas are usually flesh-colored and protrude only slightly above the surface of the skin (about 1 to 2 mm). They can reach a diameter of 5 mm, but they are usually smaller than the common ones. Flattened papillomas can occur near wounds and cuts. Juvenile papillomas generally have a smooth surface and uneven, but well-defined borders. Due to the lack of a stratum corneum on the surface, they can appear shiny.
Plantar warts
This is an extremely unpleasant type of skin growth that occurs on the feet. They are sometimes mistaken for corns. However, plantar papillomas have a trait that distinguishes them from calluses. If a plantar wart is damaged, it will usually bleed. For corns, this phenomenon is not typical. Although externally, papillomas on the legs may look like calluses; they are generally hard and keratinized. Its color is usually dirty gray, dark yellow or dirty with a brown tint. Black spots may appear on its surface.
Most often, a plantar wart is found on the leg. But they can also meet in groups, as well as grow together. Plantar papillomas grow not only outside the skin, but also deeper.
Outwardly, warts of this type may seem common. They are usually semicircular in shape. However, if a person constantly develops such a skin formation, it can take a flattened shape.
The appearance of papillomas on plants has little to do with age, they can appear in both young and old people. These formations can also be observed in children.
Plantar papillomas can cause discomfort and even severe pain when walking. When you step on such an extension, it appears as if you are stepping on a small pebble. Outwardly, warts can sometimes resemble thorns. This is why people call these types of papillomas spines.
In a calm state, these formations can be itchy. Like other types of papillomas, plantar warts develop under the influence of the papilloma virus. The virus often comes into contact with the skin of the feet due to the environment. For example, it is not uncommon to contract this virus when visiting a swimming pool without rubber shoes. Uncomfortable shoes also contribute to the appearance of skin lesions, as they often occur in places where the shoes rub against the feet. Heavy sweating and poor foot hygiene are also contributing factors.
It is not recommended to touch the papillomas of the plant with the hands, since this way the virus can be transferred to other areas of the skin.
Plantar warts treatment
Sometimes papillomas of this type can go away on their own. This happens in about half of the cases. But sometimes it takes a long time to wait for this moment, and not everyone can afford it, especially if education is felt by painful sensations. If an outgrowth on the foot causes acute pain, it does not allow walking, it must be removed. In addition, the formation of more than 1 cm should be eliminated. The removal operation can be performed only in the doctor's office.
If there is any doubt that the formation on the leg belongs to any type of papillomas, the doctor may perform a number of diagnostic procedures. These include scraping and analysis of the stratum corneum, PCR analysis for the presence of the papillomavirus genome. To determine the shape and size of the formation, an ultrasound is performed. Warts on the leg require a differential diagnosis from syphilis warts. However, generally, extensive diagnostic measures are not carried out, as it is not difficult to diagnose papilloma on the leg.
Medicines can sometimes be tried to remove a growth on the foot. For wart removal, preparations with salicylic acid, necrotizing agents, freezing sprays and special plasters are suitable. However, removal with medication is usually not a quick procedure. You can quickly remove a wart on the sole only with the help of tools available in medical institutions. These can be methods:
- To be,
- surgical,
- electrocoagulation,
- cryodestruction,
- radio wave.
Any type of procedure has its own advantages and disadvantages. The surgical method, for example, is mainly used for large skin growths, as it severely damages the skin.
Genital warts
This is a special type of wart. They are usually found in the genital area. Their shape is also unusual, as they look like papillae (hence their name). However, warts can also be irregular in shape, similar to cauliflower or cockscomb. The viruses that cause these types of warts are usually sexually transmitted. In addition, condylomas can be observed on the mucous membranes, in the anus. Therefore, these warts are often called anogenital or venereal. Less often, condylomas are found in the armpits, in women under the mammary glands. Warts are flesh to pink in color. Sometimes several genital warts can grow together. In addition, the condylomata of this species can grow to large sizes. Warts can cause painful sensations during intercourse, defecation. If injured, they can bleed. Women with genital warts can also develop cervical cancer.
Filiform warts
This type of wart is extremely common. Filiform warts, or skin tags, often grow in large groups. Prefer skin tags for areas with thin skin. This is the area of the armpits, neck, shoulders, eyelids, wings of the nose. It can occur in the groin area, under the mammary glands in women. They usually don't bother a person and they don't hurt, but they can itch.
Externally, filamentous warts resemble long threads. However, skin tags that have a thin filiform stem are often found, to which a thick, usually spherical or hemispherical body is attached. They are also threadlike. These warts are called pendulums.
Most warts of this type range in size from 1mm to 5mm. There are also skin tags larger than 1 cm. Sometimes several filamentous warts grow together.
Skin tags are rare in children. They are typical for people over 35 years old. And over the years, their number tends to increase. Among people over 70 years of age, this type of warts is observed in 100%. The tendency to have a large number of skin tags can also be inherited. Skin tags are often associated with being overweight. In women, they can occur during pregnancy.
Filamentous warts have an unpleasant characteristic. If a stringy wart is pulled off, a new one will soon grow in its place. Skin tags rarely pass on their own. Their appearance is favored by increased sweating, reduced immunity.
Senile warts
This type of wart has another name: seborrheic keratoma. It usually occurs in people over 60 years of age. Unlike other types of warts, senile keratomas are not caused by the human papillomavirus. The exact reasons for its occurrence have not been established. Keratomas are most likely associated with age-related body changes. They develop from the basal layer of the epidermis, which is why they are often called basal cell papillomas. Although this is not the correct name, because royal papillomas are caused only by viruses. Heredity plays an important role in the appearance of these neoplasms. Senile keratomas can often look like melanoma. Therefore, if they occur, it is necessary to consult a doctor so that he can diagnose. However, senile keratomas generally do not require treatment and do not develop into malignant tumors.
Outwardly, keratomas appear as pinkish or yellowish papules 1-2 mm thick. Its size varies from 2 mm to 3 cm. Occasionally, warts of this type reach a size of 4-6 cm. Keratomas have a fatty, easily removable crust. Its surface is irregular, like wavy. As keratomas grow, they often become like a bowler hat and their color changes to black or dark brown. Their surface becomes hard, they can crack.
Most often, keratomas are located on the neck and chest. It can be observed in groups. They appear less frequently on the hands and face. They do not exist on mucous membranes. Generally, there are no more than 20 keratomas in the body. If a person has many senile warts, this is often due to hereditary factors.
Senile keratomas do not go away on their own. People with excessive amounts of seborrheic keratomas in the body are advised to increase the amount of vitamin C in their diet to prevent new growths. You should also avoid exposure to direct sunlight, overheating, hypothermia, stress.
Treatment
Most papillomas do not pose a serious threat. However, after an injury, they can hurt, bleed. After that, there is a risk of developing malignant tumors. Although in papillomas and keratomas, the risk of malignant transformation is much lower than in moles.
Papillomas are usually treated by removal (surgical, with the help of cold, high-frequency electrical current, or laser). Therapeutic treatments are usually less effective.
The indication for removal is pain from skin formation, its large size, bleeding, change in shape, location in an uncomfortable place (for example, on the tip of the toe, on the soles, in the genital area ), aesthetic considerations. Warts are also subject to removal.