The plantar wart is an outgrowth on the skin of a viral nature, it is also called corn. From medical terminology, it is clear that such formations are localized on the soles of the feet and toes. From an oncological risk point of view, they are not dangerous, but cause a lot of inconvenience when walking due to their painful compression.
Causes of plantar warts
All types of warts, including plantar warts, are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). It can be spread through close contact with infected people or through everyday life. The virus dies quickly from sunlight, but feels great in high humidity. Therefore, HPV infection occurs most often in baths, saunas, and swimming pools. The penetration of the virus into the body is facilitated by microtrauma and cracks in the skin, as well as reduced immunity.
With strong protective properties of the body, the virus after infection can remain in an inactive state for an indefinite time. But if the immunity decreases, it begins to multiply actively, causing the appearance of warts of various locations on the skin. For its appearance, it is in the only one that HPV subtypes 1, 2, 4, 27 and 57 are most frequently responsible.
Several predisposing factors contribute to the appearance of such formations:
- shoes too tight or out of size;
- frequent use of high heels;
- various foot deformities (including flat feet);
- various diseases of the joints of the feet (arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc. ).
Leg warts are more common in people with overly dry skin and hyperkeratosis.
Thus, the causes of plantar warts are the same in all cases (HPV infection), but the predisposing factors are different. The amount and size of the elements on the skin depend on them and the state of immunity.
How do plantar warts appear
A wart on the foot looks like a rounded skin growth. It can be of different sizes, but it rarely exceeds two centimeters in diameter. It rises above the level of the skin no more than three millimeters, but at the same time penetrates deeply with its root. The color may not differ from the surrounding skin, nor may it be darker or lighter. Often these formations have a yellow or gray tint. Visually, when viewed inside items, black dots or lines can be seen (they are also clearly visible in the photo). This is what capillaries look like, in which blood clots have formed, due to compression of the horny vessels by masses.
At first, the plantar wart has a smooth surface. But over time, it becomes hard, rough, thick. It is the hot masses that give these warts their yellow color.
A major symptom of plantar warts is pain when they are compressed. Each step causes severe acute pain in the patient.
These warts are very similar to plantar calluses. The resemblance to a cornice is especially pronounced due to the strong pain of both formations. The main difference is that there is no skin pattern on the surface of warts, whereas on corns it remains.
Diagnosis of plantar warts
A competent dermatologist will diagnose this disease based on a single clinical picture. In some cases, an additional dermoscopy is required. The absence of a cutaneous pattern on the formation and the presence of capillaries with blood clots in their structure confirms this diagnosis.
Plantar wart treatment
Plantar warts are more difficult to remove than similar formations in other areas due to their deeper penetration into the dermis. In the case of small and newly formed elements, necrotizing external preparations can be used. Large, deep warts are removed surgically. At the same time, the old formations must first be smoothed with keratolytic agents.
External preparations to remove warts
In some cases, self-destruction of such formations is possible. But since the plantar wart hurts a lot, patients do not want to wait and strive to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Any remedy for plantar warts with necrotizing effect is prescribed to remove small and superficial elements.
These products contain acids that coagulate skin proteins and cause necrosis. Medications that contain refrigerant have a similar effect. But they cause necrotizing effects through freezing of tissues, not through chemical damage.
All these drugs are applied promptly to training. It is necessary to strictly control that the substance does not fall on the surrounding tissues, as this will cause them to burn. After treatment, a wound will remain at the site of the previous wart, which will be covered with a scab. After healing, it will fall off on its own. You can carry out such treatment at home, but only as directed by a doctor.
In this way it is possible to remove plantar warts only small in size and with little penetration into the skin. For large items, you should choose other methods of removal, as incomplete destruction of the wart tissue will definitely lead to their recurrence.
Surgical methods to remove plantar warts
There are several ways to remove a plantar wart in surgery. Soft methods are preferred:
- laser removal;
- radio wave knife;
- cryodestruction;
- electrocautery.
All of these procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. Patients can literally go home a few minutes after completion, they just need to regularly treat the wound at home.
The most effective and safest methods to remove plantar warts are excision with a laser or radio wave knife. When carried out, the vessels immediately clot, which is a good prevention of bleeding and secondary infection. Complications when removing skin formations with these methods are extremely rare. The same cannot be said about cryodestruction and electrocoagulation, which is why these treatment methods have faded into the background and are rarely used.
If the warts are large or old (covered with a large number of horny masses), it is recommended to treat them with keratolytic agents for two weeks before the removal procedure. For this purpose, salicylic acid or ointment and other drugs are prescribed. Thus, it is possible to exfoliate part of the horny scales, to make the formations softer and more malleable. This will make it easier and faster to remove the wart.
On rare occasions, when there are many elements or there are doubts about their nature, the doctor may advise surgical excision with a scalpel. With this method of wart removal, the rehabilitation period and the high risk of scarring are much longer, so it is used only under strict indications.
Characteristics of plantar warts in children
In children over the age of five, plantar warts are quite common, as they often run barefoot, injure themselves, and don't always follow personal hygiene rules. Immunity malfunctions due to regular contact with sick children (in kindergartens and schools), which leads to an increased likelihood of warts.
Treatment of such formations in a child is best started with external agents. You can try exfoliating the shallow items with salicylic ointment, followed by pumice. Immunomodulatory drugs have proven their effectiveness. When applied regularly to a wart, they can remove it in a few weeks.
If elements are deep, apply necrotizing agents or remove them with laser or radio wave knife.
Plantar wart prevention
It is absolutely impossible to protect yourself from warts, but you can reduce the risk of warts. To do this, it is necessary to act in two directions: eliminate predisposing factors and stimulate the body's defenses.
To achieve the first goal, you need:
- follow the rules of personal hygiene (do not walk barefoot in public places, wash your feet daily and treat cuts and wounds in a timely manner);
- choose comfortable shoes by size;
- in time to prevent foot deformities and treat joint diseases.
A healthy lifestyle, playing sports, getting tough, taking vitamin complexes and immunostimulating drugs as prescribed by a doctor will help keep the body's defenses at a good level.
For overly dry skin and hyperkeratosis, regular pedicures and medical peels are recommended. In the case of excessive sweating of the legs, you need to use special means to treat hyperhidrosis. By following all these rules, the risk of developing warts on the soles of your feet will be minimal.
Plantar warts are not a dangerous disease, but they cause a lot of inconvenience due to pain when walking. Fortunately, there are many ways in modern medicine to get rid of it quickly and with minimal risk of further relapses. To do this, you should consult a dermatologist and strictly follow all his appointments and recommendations.