Warts are flat, keratinized, benign growths caused by the human papillomavirus.This fairly common condition occurs most often in children and adolescents and is an epidermal tumor ranging from several millimeters to several centimeters in diameter.
Warts can affect the skin on the hands, feet and face as well as the mucous membranes and genitals.This disease is very contagious: it spreads quickly and is transmitted from person to person.When injured, warts become painful and can change color and shape.In addition, such neoplasms cause certain psychological discomfort and represent a cosmetic defect. If treated incorrectly, rough scars and scars can form.In some cases, warts can develop into malignant tumors.
Cause of warts and pathogenesis
Warts are caused by a filterable virus.It cannot be examined under a microscope or “caught” by bacterial filters.These viruses include the human papillomavirus (HPV).Anyone can become infected with it, but there are people who are at higher risk of infection than others.To date, more than 120 human papilloma viruses have been studied.It is known that the cause of warts are viruses of types 2 and 4.These types of viruses are particularly associated with the appearance of warts on the hands.
Constant use of a sauna, swimming pool, public beach or gym can cause HPV infection.Additionally, if a person regularly comes into contact with fresh meat or fish as part of their job, they may not feel safe.
You can become infected both through contact with a carrier of the virus and through household means, by sharing household items with an infected person.Warts spread particularly quickly in children's groups (kindergartens, schools, sports departments, etc.).Maceration (natural swelling of the epidermis that occurs in people of certain professional groups) or minor skin injuries are considered predisposing factors.The incubation period can last from 5-6 to 16 weeks.An infection with the human papillomavirus is usually asymptomatic and often goes unnoticed by the patient.
But what is the most common cause of warts on the fingers?Without a doubt, the human fingers are the most traumatized area of the body through which the virus is transmitted so quickly and easily, leading to the development of warts.Contact with a carrier of the virus (essentially the causative agent of warts) occurs by shaking hands or touching handrails or railings in public places.An interesting fact is that a person infected with such a virus may not even be aware of its presence.He finds out about it when a wart appears.In addition, the cause of warts is often reduced human immunity.As practice shows, even if a person manages to strengthen his immunity, warts do not disappear anywhere, since the virus continues to live in the blood and leads to the reappearance of warts.
Types of warts
In dermatology, it is customary to distinguish between common, plantar, senile and flat (juvenile) warts.Each type of wart has its own characteristic features.
Ordinary guy
Common warts externally look like non-inflamed nodules of small size and dense consistency.Common warts have a flattened or hemispherical shape and may be slightly dark or the color of normal skin.Most often, such warts are localized on the hands, palms, face and other areas of the skin.In most cases, these tumors are painless.An exception are warts in the nail area.They will be very painful and difficult to treat.Such warts typically appear in childhood.
Causes of common warts
What are the reasons for the appearance of common warts in children?It's very simple: the cause of a wart can be an ordinary scratch or abrasion through which the human papilloma virus (HPV) penetrates the skin.After entering the body, the virus begins to actively multiply and concentrates mainly in the basal layer of the skin, as a result of which the first warts appear after one to two months.It is important to note that the appearance of a wart may not be a mandatory symptom of the development of this virus in a child's body.If a child has a strong immune system, he or she may not be able to develop an extremely severe form of the disease in which warts appear one after the other.The virus simply lives in the body without showing itself externally.
If we have found out the reasons for the appearance of common warts, now we should talk about the symptomatic features.As you know, such warts usually appear on the back of the hand or foot.A common wart has a round shape, the size of which does not exceed 10 mm.An important feature of this type of wart is its diverse character: the appearance of one wart can affect the formation of a second wart, and in the future their number will only increase.
Another interesting fact is that the cause of the appearance of common warts is the warts themselves.This means that in addition to one common wart, a second one often appears.The latter is also popularly known as the “kissing wart”.
Plantar type
Plantar warts can occur in both adults and children.Because plantar warts are not immediately recognized, they are difficult to treat.Such neoplasms are localized in areas of greatest pressure.They hinder walking, are very painful and can be the size of a chicken egg.Sometimes patients confuse keratinized plantar warts with calluses or skin abrasions.A wart differs from a callus in that it has papillary growths.
Type of flat warts
Flat juvenile warts are small epidermal tumors of small size, yellowish or pale pink in color.Most often, such warts appear on the patient's forehead, chin or cheeks, as well as on the neck and hands (usually on the back).There are two types of juvenile warts - threadlike and flat papillomas, which are localized on the mucous membranes
Type of age warts
Age warts affect patients of both sexes over 40 years of age.The localization of the pathological process occurs in closed skin areas: abdomen, back and chest.Age warts have a flat shape and are covered with characteristic scales.If the scales are removed, papillary growths become visible.
Diagnosis of warts
For an experienced dermatologist, diagnosing warts is not particularly difficult.Such tumors have characteristic external signs, so it is difficult to confuse them with something else.However, the common wart must be differentiated from keratomas, nevus, tuberculous skin lesions, warty basal cell carcinoma, polyps, calluses, skin cancer and other dermatological diseases.
To definitively confirm the differential diagnosis, the patient can be prescribed additional blood tests for the human papilloma virus (HPV).This study is carried out using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.
Treatment of warts
Before starting therapy, you should definitely consult a doctor.Only a specialist can make the correct differential diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.There are many “grandmother's recipes” for warts, but trying them yourself is not only unwise, but also very dangerous for health, because a wart is not just a cosmetic defect, but a very serious disease.
Treatment of various warts is aimed at removing them.The method of destroying warts is selected individually, taking into account the location and nature of the pathological process.Warts are often multiple in nature, but often it is enough to remove one “mother” tumor, and then all the others disappear on their own over time. Warts, the treatment of which with conservative methods has proven ineffective, are subject to destruction.
Basic methods for destroying warts
There are a number of advanced methods for destroying warts.The most effective among them are the following:
- Cryodestruction.This method involves applying liquid nitrogen or dry ice directly to the wart.The damaged area of skin is frozen and then rejected.At extremely low temperatures, the virus dies completely and the wart is destroyed.This method is painless and postoperative scars are almost invisible.If the wart is large or the patient has a very high sensitivity threshold, the doctor may opt for local anesthesia.After the operation, a black crust forms on the site of the wart, which should not be removed under any circumstances.After 4-5 weeks it will be shed on its own.If the wart was very large, the affected area will be treated again after 3-4 weeks.
- Electrocoagulation.In this method, the tumor is burned out using electrical current.Electrocoagulation is used in hard-to-reach places and can be used to remove warts on mucous membranes.The disadvantages include a relatively large list of contraindications: violation of the general somatic state, individual intolerance to anesthetics, inflammatory skin diseases, etc.
- Laser destruction of warts.This is the most advanced method for removing warts of any kind. The operation takes only a few minutes.The postoperative wound heals quickly and does not require special care.After the operation, no traces of the wart remain.There are no age restrictions;This method can also be used to treat warts in young children.
- Surgical removal of warts.It is used less and less only to remove particularly large warts.The method is very painful, involves heavy bleeding and the postoperative wound often does not heal well and leaves a scar.
- X-ray irradiation.This method is used to treat plantar warts.
However, warts can be treated not only surgically, but also with medication.Nowadays, for the treatment of different types of warts, there are a number of topical medications that can destroy the structure of the wart and are therefore equivalent to local treatment.It is often possible to treat warts with the help of a special ointment that removes the wart quickly and painlessly.
Treatment of warts consists primarily in destroying the growths that have formed on the surface of the skin.Drug treatment includes drugs that can be divided into several groups:
- Necrotizing;
- Keratolytics (a series of medicines that help treat the wart by dissolving it).
- Components for cryotherapy.
- Various antiviral drugs.
- Medicines that can strengthen immunity.
Treating warts with the above remedies may not have an immediate effect.To eliminate a wart, repeated use of medication may be necessary.In some other cases, however, treatment of the warts is not necessary at all - they disappear on their own after a while.
According to statistics, self-healing occurs no later than 2 months after the first wart appears (approx. 20-22% of all cases) or 3 months (30% of cases).If it is an older wart, it will most likely heal itself after 2 years (and that is 50% of cases).Adults are the least likely to respond to self-treatment.The treatment of warts in adults is facilitated by medication or surgical intervention.
Treating a wart can be complicated by its unpredictable behavior.The reason for such complicated treatment may be a late visit to the doctor, during which the wart swelled and changed its shape or color.Usually, a second wart soon appears near one wart, and then their number increases, which also complicates treatment.
With proper wart therapy, this leads to either the complete disappearance of the wart or its gradual disappearance.At the same time, you don't have to be afraid of a new wart.