Warts are flat, keratinized, benign growths caused by the human papillomavirus.This fairly common disease occurs most often in children and adolescents and is an epidermal tumor with a diameter of several millimeters to several centimeters.
Warts can affect the skin of the hands, feet and face, as well as mucous membranes and genitals.This disease is very contagious: it spreads quickly and is transmitted from one person to another.When injured, warts become painful and can change color and shape.In addition, these neoplasms create a certain psychological discomfort and are a cosmetic defect.Incorrect treatment can lead to the formation of scars and rough scars.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 “captured” by bacterial filters.These viruses include the human papillomavirus (HPV).Anyone can become infected, but there are people who are at greater risk of infection than others.To date, more than 120 human papillomaviruses have been studied.It is known that the cause of warts are viruses of types 2 and 4. These types of viruses are especially associated with the appearance of warts on the hands.
Constant use of a sauna, swimming pool, public beach or gym can cause HPV infection.Furthermore, if a person's professional activity involves periodic contact with fresh meat or fish, he or she may not feel safe.
You can become infected both through contact with a virus carrier and through household means, sharing household items with an infected person.Warts spread especially quickly in groups of children (nursery schools, schools, sports sections, etc.).Predisposing factors are considered maceration (natural swelling of the epidermis, which occurs in people of certain professions) or small lesions on the skin.The incubation period can last from 5 to 6 to 16 weeks.As a rule, human papillomavirus infection is asymptomatic and often goes unnoticed by the patient.
But what is the common cause of warts on the fingers?Without a doubt, human fingers are the most traumatized area of the body, through which the virus is transmitted so quickly and easily, which causes the appearance of warts.Contact with a virus carrier (essentially the one that causes warts) occurs through shaking hands or touching handrails or railings in public places.An interesting fact is that a person infected with this virus may not even be aware of its presence.He discovers this when a wart appears.Also, the cause of warts is often a reduction in human immunity.As practice shows, even if a person manages to strengthen his immunity, the warts do not disappear anywhere, since the virus continues to live in the blood, causing the warts to reappear.
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 characteristics.
Common type
Common warts externally look like non-inflamed nodules, small in size and dense in consistency.Common warts are flat or hemispherical in shape and may be slightly dark or the color of normal skin.Most often, these warts are located on the hands, palms, face and other areas of the skin.In most cases, these tumors are painless.The exception is warts located in the nail area.They will be very painful and difficult to treat.Typically, the appearance of these warts occurs in childhood.
Causes of common warts
What are the reasons for the appearance of common warts in children?It's simple: the cause of a wart can be an ordinary scratch or abrasion, through which the human papillomavirus (HPV) enters the skin.After penetrating the body, the virus begins to multiply actively, concentrating mainly in the basal layer of the skin, which causes the first warts to appear after one or two months.It is important to note that the appearance of a wart may not be an obligatory symptom of the development of this virus in the child's body.If a child has a strong immune system, he or she may not be able to get an extremely severe form of the disease, in which warts appear one after another.The virus will simply live in the body, without manifesting itself externally.
If we discovered the reasons for the appearance of common warts, we must now talk about the symptoms.As you know, these warts usually appear on the back of the hands or feet.An ordinary wart has a round shape, the size of which does not exceed 10 mm.An important feature of this type of wart is its multiple nature: the occurrence of one can affect the formation of a second wart, and in the future their number will only increase.
Another interesting fact is that the causes of the appearance of vulgar warts are the warts themselves.This means that, next to one vulgar wart, a second one often appears.The latter is popularly called the “kissing” wart.
Plant type
Plantar warts can appear in both adults and children.Because plantar warts are not detected immediately, they are difficult to treat.Such neoplasms are located in areas of greatest pressure.They interfere with a person's walking, are quite painful and can reach the size of a chicken egg.Patients sometimes mistake keratinized plantar warts for calluses or skin abrasions.A wart differs from a corn by the presence of papillary protuberances.
Type of flat warts
Juvenile flat warts are small epidermal tumors of small size, yellowish or pale pink in color.Most often, these warts appear on the patient's forehead, chin or cheeks, as well as on the neck and hands (usually the back).There are two types of juvenile warts - filiform and flat papillomas, located on the mucous membranes
Type of senile warts
Senile warts affect patients of both sexes over 40 years of age.The localization of the pathological process occurs in closed areas of the skin: abdomen, back and chest.Senile warts are flat and covered with characteristic scales.If the scales are removed, papillary growths become visible.
Wart diagnosis
Diagnosing warts is not particularly difficult for an experienced dermatologist.These tumors have characteristic external signs, so it is difficult to confuse them with something else.However, the common wart must be differentiated from keratoma, nevus, tuberculous skin lesions, verrucous basal cell carcinoma, polyps, calluses, skin cancer and other dermatological diseases.
To definitively confirm the differential diagnosis, the patient may be prescribed additional blood tests for human papillomavirus (HPV).This study is carried out using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.
Wart treatment
Before starting therapy, you should definitely consult a doctor.Only a specialist can make the correct differential diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.There are many “grandmother's recipes” for warts, but trying them on yourself is not only unwise, but also very dangerous for your health, because a wart is not just a cosmetic defect, but a very serious disease.
Treatment for various warts is aimed at removing them.The method of destroying warts is chosen individually, taking into account the location and nature of the pathological process.Often warts are multiple in nature, but it is often enough to remove one “mother” tumor and then all the others disappear on their own over time.Warts whose treatment with conservative methods has proven ineffective are subject to destruction.
Basic wart destruction methods
There are several progressive methods used to destroy warts.The most effective among them are the following:
- Cryodestruction.This method is based on applying liquid nitrogen or dry ice directly to the wart.The damaged area of the skin is frozen and then discarded.When exposed to 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 decide to use local anesthesia.After the operation, a black crust forms at the site of the wart, which under no circumstances should be removed.After 4-5 weeks it will reject on its own.If the wart is very large, after 3-4 weeks the affected area will be treated again.
- Electrocoagulation.This method involves burning the tumor with electrical current.Electrocoagulation is used in hard-to-reach areas 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 progressive method of wart removal of any type.The duration of the operation is just a few minutes.The postoperative wound heals quickly and does not require special care.After the operation, no trace of the wart remains.There are no age restrictions;This method can also be used to treat warts in young children.
- Surgical excision of warts.It is used less and less, only to remove particularly large warts.The method is quite painful, accompanied by intense bleeding, and the postoperative wound often does not heal well, leaving a scar.
- X-ray irradiation. This method is used to treat plantar warts.
However, the treatment of warts can be not only surgical, but also medication.Today, for the treatment of various types of warts, there are several topical medications that can destroy the structure of the wart, thus corresponding to local treatment.Often, wart treatment is possible with the help of a special ointment, which eliminates the wart quickly and painlessly.
The treatment of warts consists, first of all, of destroying the growth formed on the surface of the skin.Drug treatment corresponds to medications that can be classified into several groups:
- Necrotizing;
- Keratolytics (a series of medications that help treat the wart by melting it).
- Components for cryotherapy.
- Various antiviral medications.
- Medicines that can increase immunity.
Treating warts with the above remedies may not be effective immediately.Repeated use of medication may be necessary to eliminate a wart.However, in a number of other cases, treatment of warts is not necessary - after a while they disappear on their own.
According to statistics, self-healing occurs no later than 2 months after the appearance of the first wart (about 20-22% of all cases) or 3 months (30% of cases).If we are talking about an old wart, self-healing will probably occur after 2 years (and this represents 50% of cases).Adults are less likely to respond to self-treatment.Treatment of warts in adults is facilitated by medication or surgical procedures.
Treating a wart can be complicated by its unpredictable behavior.The reason for such complicated treatment may be a late visit to the doctor, when the wart has increased in size, changed shape or color.Typically, a second wart soon appears near a wart and their number increases, which also complicates treatment.
If wart therapy is carried out correctly, it will lead to the complete disappearance of the wart or its gradual disappearance.At the same time, you do not need to be afraid of the appearance of a new wart.