Wart
small, rough growth resembling a cauliflower or a solid blister, often found on hands / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Warts are growths on the skin. Very often they resemble solid blisters.
Wart | |
---|---|
Other names | Verrucae,[1] papillomas[2] |
Medical specialty | Dermatology |
Symptoms | skin growth usually occurring on the hands, feet, or genitals[1][3] |
Duration | Months to years[1] |
Causes | Human papillomavirus[1] |
Risk factors | Public showers and pools, eczema[3] |
Differential diagnosis | Callus, seborrheic keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma[4] |
Prevention | Avoiding skin contact with infected individual, not walking barefoot in public areas, having safe sex or sexual abstinence |
Treatment | Salicylic acid, cryotherapy,[1] surgical removal |
Frequency | Very common[2] |
Usually, applying pressure to a wart causes pain. Warts are caused by viruses in the HPV family. As there are many types of viruses in the HPV family, there are also many types of wart. In most cases, warts are not dangerous, but may cause a lot of pain.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Dornwarzen.jpg)
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Verruca_vulgaris_-_very_low_mag.jpg/640px-Verruca_vulgaris_-_very_low_mag.jpg)
The virus infects skin cells. If these infected skin cells move to other areas, new warts can grow there. With some warts, infected skin that has touched surfaces that other people touch can spread warts, so it may be better to wear socks or crocs. Warts contain tissue that bleeds easily. A bleeding of this tissue allows the wart to spread to other places. In general, coming in contact with infected tissue spreads the infection.
There are different ways of getting rid of a wart:
- The immune system fights the virus, and can make the wart disappear.
- There are different drugs; many of them are corrosive acids. Regular application on the skin kills the cells which were infected by the virus. Other drugs strengthen the immune system.
- Some of the acids are difficult to handle, or have side-effects. Often, trained medical personnel is needed for their use.
- Different forms of surgery exist: Using a laser, electricity, or infrared radiation. Very often, the use of surgery causes scars.