There are very few people who will not face a problem like warts on the body. This growth can occur in the body in adolescents, adults and the elderly. Usually, warts are just a cosmetic problem, disturbing one's appearance. And only in rare cases do these formations pose a real threat to health.
What are warts?
Our skin has a smooth surface. However, in some cases, a prominent skin growth may appear on it. They are called warts. Usually these are permanent formations that do not change for many years.
The mechanism of warts is the growth of the top layer of the skin. The size of the formations ranges from 1 mm to several centimeters. This parameter depends on the type of formation and its location on the skin. Fusion of multiple warts is often observed. The color of the skin growths is usually flesh, but they can take on other colors, for example, pink or brown.
Medicine classifies warts as benign neoplasms. They do not grow and do not penetrate the surrounding tissue.
In the international classification of diseases, the following codes are assigned to warts:
- B07 - viral warts,
- A63. 0 - genital warts,
- L82 Seborrheic Keratoma
Most types of warts are viral, sexually transmitted warts are genital, and seborrheic keratoses are senile warts that are non-infectious.
The following skin lesions must be distinguished from warts:
- nevi (mole),
- calluses,
- malignant tumor,
- basal cell carcinoma,
- wide warts due to syphilis.
Some of these formations can be life-threatening. Therefore, if any suspicious formations appear on the body, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Why do warts occur?
Usually, a viral infection is the cause of warts. The process of occurrence of warts occurs as follows. Human papillomavirus enters skin cells and causes them to divide rapidly. As a result, growths or papillomas develop on the skin. However, there are types of warts that have nothing to do with viruses.
In fact, papillomas do not always occur 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 just papillomas that appear on the skin.
Warts can be found on any part of the body. However, some species have their favorite spots. For example, warts usually form on the groin and anus; acrochords prefer skin folds on the upper body.
Human papillomavirus does not reproduce outside the body. However, it can last a long time in warm and humid places. That is why people can often become infected when visiting baths, saunas, swimming pools. But the virus does not live long in the open air - it is neutralized by the ultraviolet radiation of the Sun.
According to research, about 80% of the world's population is infected with some type of human papillomavirus. There are two hundred types of this virus in total. Some viruses are relatively harmless, others cause papillomas, and others can even cause malignant tumors. Some strains can be passed from person to person. As a result, some 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 the animal papilloma virus does not reproduce in the human body.
You can become infected with the new type of virus through personal contact, shaking hands, sharing household items (for example, towels), when visiting public places (swimming pools, baths, saunas, transportation), through minor cuts and sexual intercourse.
Papilloma virus that has penetrated the body does not always cause the appearance of the disease. Usually, factors associated with 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 in the wings.
Varieties of warts
Doctors distinguish several types of warts:
- ordinary (vulgar),
- young (flat),
- spiky (condyloma),
- senile,
- threadlike.
Birthmarks (nevi) should 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 wart 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 formation is from several mm to 1 cm, the surface is usually uneven, wavy, often resembles the surface of a cauliflower. Color - flesh-colored, grayish, yellowish-brown. Frequent localization - hands, face, fingers, lips, knees, elbows. The mucous membranes are rarely affected.
Often, ordinary papillomas go away on their own. The uniqueness of this type of papilloma is that they often grow not singly, but in groups. You can often find large papillomas, where small ones grow. If you remove the largest (mother) papillomas, then usually the smaller ones will disappear.
Common papillomas can occur at any age. They often occur in school-age children.
teenage warts
This type of papilloma usually occurs in children and adolescents. But in adults, they can also appear. These papillomas are also often referred to as flat papillomas. They account for only 4% of all warts.
They can often be found on the hands. They can also be observed on the feet and face, near the nails, between the toes, on the feet, and on the neck. They are often associated with hormonal changes in the body. Like common papillomas, they do not pose any significant harm and may 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 skin surface (about 1-2 mm). They can reach 5 mm in diameter, but are usually smaller than vulgar ones. Flat papillomas can occur near cuts and incisions. Usually juvenile papillomas have a smooth and uneven surface, although the boundaries are clear. Due to the lack of stratum corneum on the surface, they can appear shiny.
plantar warts
This is a very unpleasant type of skin growth that occurs on the feet. Sometimes they are mistaken for corn. However, plantar papilloma has properties that distinguish it from corn. If a plantar wart is damaged, it will usually bleed. For corn, this phenomenon is not typical. Although outwardly, papillomas on the feet may look like calluses - they are usually hard and keratinized. The color is usually dirty gray, dark yellow or dirty yellow with a brown tint. Black dots may appear on its surface.
Most often, one plantar wart is found on the foot. But they can also meet in groups, as well as grow together. Plantar papillomas grow not only outside the skin, but also deeper.
Outwardly, this type of wart may look like a normal wart. They usually have a semicircular shape. However, if one continuously developed such a skin formation, then it could become an even shape.
The appearance of papillomas on the soles of the feet has nothing to do with age, they can appear in both young and old people. This formation can also be observed in children.
Plantar papillomas can cause discomfort and even severe pain when walking. When you step on such a growth, it is as if you are stepping on a small pebble. Outwardly, warts can sometimes resemble thorns. Therefore, people call this type of thorn papilloma.
In a calm state, this formation can cause itching. Like other types of papilloma, plantar warts develop under the influence of the papilloma virus. Viruses often enter the skin of the feet from the environment. For example, it is not uncommon to catch this virus by visiting a pool without rubber boots. Uncomfortable shoes also contribute to skin lesions, as they often occur where the shoe rubs against the foot. Heavy sweating and inadequate foot hygiene are also contributing factors.
It is not recommended to touch papillomas on the palms with your hands, because this way you can transfer the virus to other areas of the skin.
Plantar wart treatment
Sometimes this type of papilloma can go away on its own. This occurs 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 makes itself felt with painful sensations. If the growth on the leg causes sharp pain, does not allow walking, then it must be removed. In addition, education of more than 1 cm should be omitted. Surgical removal can only be done in the doctor's office.
If there is any doubt that the formation on the leg belongs to any type of papilloma, the doctor can perform a number of diagnostic procedures. These include scraping and analysis of the stratum corneum, PCR analysis for the presence of the papilloma virus genome. To determine the shape and size of the formation, an ultrasound scan is performed. Warts on the feet require a differential diagnosis of syphilitic warts. However, as a rule, extensive diagnostic measures are not carried out, since it is not difficult to diagnose papillomas on the feet.
Sometimes treatment can be tried to remove growths on the feet. To remove warts, preparations with salicylic acid, necrotizing agents, frozen aerosols and special plasters are suitable. However, drug removal is usually not a quick procedure. You can quickly get rid of warts on the soles only with the help of tools available at medical institutions. This can be a method:
- laser,
- surgery,
- electrocoagulation,
- cryodestruction,
- Radio Wave.
Each type of procedure has its own advantages and disadvantages. Surgical methods, for example, are used primarily for large skin growths, as they severely injure the skin.
Genital warts
This is a special type of wart. They are usually found in the genital area. The shape is also unusual, as it looks like a papilla (hence the name). However, warts can also have an irregular shape, resembling a cauliflower or comb. The virus that causes this type of wart is usually sexually transmitted. Also, condyloma can be observed on the mucous membranes, in the anus. Therefore, such warts are often called anogenital or genital. Less commonly, condylomas are found in the armpits, in women under the mammary glands. The warts are flesh colored to pink. Sometimes several genital warts can grow together. Also, condyloma of this species can grow to a large size. Warts can cause a painful sensation during intercourse, defecation. If injured, they may bleed. Women with genital warts can also develop cervical cancer.
filiform warts
This type of wart is very common. Filiform warts, or acrochords, often grow in large clusters. Prefer acrochords 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 don't hurt, but they can be itchy.
Externally, filamentous warts resemble long threads. However, acrochords are often found which have thin filiform rods, which are attached to a thick body, usually round or hemispherical. They are also filiform. Such warts are called pendulous.
Most warts of this type range in size from 1 mm to 5 mm. There is also an acrochord larger than 1 cm, sometimes several stringy warts grow together.
Acrochord is rare in children. They are typical for people over 35 years old. And over the years, their numbers usually increase. Among people over 70 years of age, this type of wart is observed in 100%. The tendency to have a large number of acrochords on the body can also be inherited. Acrochords are often associated with being overweight. In women, they can occur during pregnancy.
Filamentous warts have one unpleasant feature. If the filamentous wart is torn off, a new one will soon grow in its place. The Acrochord rarely passes alone. Their appearance is promoted by increased sweating, decreased immunity.
senile warts
This type of wart has another name - seborrheic keratoma. It usually occurs in people over the age of 60. Unlike other types of warts, senile keratomas are not caused by the human papillomavirus. The exact reason for their occurrence has not been established. Keratoma is most likely related to age-related changes in the body. They develop from the basal layer of the epidermis, which is why they are often called basal cell papillomas. Although this is not the right name, because papillomas are actually caused only by a virus. Heredity plays an important role in the emergence of these neoplasms. Senile keratomas can often resemble melanomas. Therefore, if it occurs, it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to diagnose. However, senile keratoma usually does not require treatment and does not turn into a malignant tumor.
Outwardly, keratomas look like pink or yellowish papules with a thickness of 1-2 mm. Its size ranges from 2 mm to 3 cm. Sometimes, this type of wart reaches a size of 4-6 cm. Keratoma has a fatty crust and is easily removed. The surface is uneven, as if wavy. Growing up, the keratoma often becomes like a mushroom cap, and it turns black or dark brown in color. The surface becomes hard, they can crack.
Most often, keratomas are located on the neck and chest. Can be observed in groups. They appear less frequently on the hands and face. They are not present in the mucous membranes. Usually the number of keratomas on the body is no more than 20. If a person has many senile warts, then this is often caused by heredity.
Senile keratomas do not go away on their own. People with excessive amounts of seborrheic keratoma on the body are advised to increase the amount of vitamin C in their diet to prevent new growth. 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 be injured, bleeding. After that, there is a risk of developing a malignant tumor. Although in papillomas and keratomas, the risk of malignant transformation is much lower than in moles.
Papillomas are usually treated with removal (surgery, with the help of an electric current or a cold, high-frequency laser). Therapeutic treatments are usually less effective.
Indications for removal are pain in the skin formation, large size, bleeding, deformity, location in an uncomfortable place (eg on the tips of the toes, on the soles of the feet, in the genital area), aesthetic considerations. . Warts can also be removed.