Warts are flat, keratinized, benign growths caused by the human papillomavirus.This fairly common disease most often occurs 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 the mucous membranes and genitals.This disease is highly contagious: it spreads quickly and passes from one person to another.When damaged, warts are painful and can change color and shape.In addition, such neoplasms cause a certain psychological discomfort and are a cosmetic defect.Improper treatment can lead to the formation of rough scars and scars.In some cases, warts can turn into malignant tumors.
The cause and pathogenesis of warts
Warts are caused by a virus that can be filtered.It cannot be examined under a microscope or "caught" by bacterial filters.These viruses include the human papillomavirus (HPV).Anyone can get it, but there are people who are more at risk than others.To date, more than 120 human papillomaviruses have been studied.It is known that warts are caused by viruses of type 2 and 4. These types of viruses are especially associated with the appearance of warts on the hands.
Frequent use of a sauna, swimming pool, public beach or gym can lead to HPV infection.In addition, if a person's professional activity involves periodic contact with fresh meat or fish, he cannot feel safe.
You can get infected both by contact with a carrier of the virus and by sharing household items with an infected person.Warts spread rapidly, especially in children's groups (kindergartens, schools, sports departments, etc.).Predisposing factors are considered maceration (natural swelling of the epidermis that occurs in certain professions) or minor skin injuries.The incubation period can last from 5-6 weeks to 16 weeks.As a rule, infection with human papillomavirus is asymptomatic and often goes unnoticed by the patient.
But what is the common cause of warts on the fingers?Undoubtedly, human fingers are the most damaged area of the body, the virus is transmitted so quickly and easily, which causes the appearance of warts.Contact with the virus carrier (mainly the cause of warts) occurs when shaking hands or touching handles or bars in public places.An interesting fact is that a person infected with such a virus may not even be aware of its existence.He knows about it when a wart appears.In addition, the cause of warts is often a decrease in human immunity.Experience shows that even if a person can strengthen his immunity, warts do not disappear anywhere, because the virus continues to live in the blood and causes warts to appear again.
Types of warts
In dermatology, it is customary to distinguish common, plantar, senile and flat (juvenile) warts.Each type of wart has its own characteristics.
The usual type
Common warts look like non-inflammatory nodules of small size and dense consistency.Common warts are flat or hemispherical in shape and can be slightly darker or normal skin color.Often, such warts are localized 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 quite painful and difficult to treat.Typically, the appearance of such warts occurs in childhood.
Causes of common warts
What are the causes of common warts in children?It's very simple: the cause of a wart can be an ordinary scratch or abrasion where the human papillomavirus (HPV) enters the skin.After penetrating the body, the virus begins to multiply actively, mainly concentrating in the basal layer of the skin, which causes the first warts to appear after one or two months.It should be noted that the appearance of a wart cannot be a mandatory symptom of the development of this virus in the child's body.If the child's immunity is strong, then he will not be able to reach the extremely severe form of the disease, in which warts appear one after another.The virus will just live in the body without showing itself in any way.
If we have learned the causes of 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.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 formation 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 a "kissing" wart.
Plantar type
Plantar warts can appear in both adults and children.Plantar warts are difficult to treat because they are not immediately detected.Such neoplasms are localized in the greatest pressure zones.They prevent a person from walking, are quite painful and can grow to the size of a chicken egg.Sometimes patients mistake keratinized plantar warts for calluses or skin abrasions.A wart differs from a callus by the presence of papillary growths.
A type of flat warts
Flat juvenile warts are small, yellowish or pale pink epidermal tumors.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 - filiform and flat papillomas localized on mucous membranes
A type of old warts
Senile warts affect patients of both sexes over the age of 40.The localization of the pathological process occurs in closed areas of the skin: abdomen, back and chest.Senile warts are flat in shape and covered with characteristic scales.If the scales are removed, papillary growths are visible.
Diagnosis of warts
Diagnosing warts is not particularly difficult for an experienced dermatologist.Such tumors have characteristic external signs, so it is difficult to confuse them with something else.However, a common wart must be distinguished from keratoma, nevus, tuberculous skin lesions, warty basal cell carcinoma, polyps, calluses, skin cancer and other dermatological diseases.
Additional blood tests for human papillomavirus (HPV) may be prescribed to the patient to definitively confirm the differential diagnosis.This research is carried out using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.
Treatment of warts
Before starting therapy, you must consult a doctor.Only a specialist can make a correct differential diagnosis and prescribe adequate 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.
The treatment of various warts is aimed at its elimination.The method of wart destruction is selected individually, taking into account the location and nature of the pathological process.Often, warts are multiple in nature, but often it is enough to remove one "mother" tumor, and then all the others will disappear by themselves over time.Warts whose treatment has been proven ineffective by conservative methods are destroyed.
The main methods of destroying warts
There are a number of advanced methods used to eradicate 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, after which it is discarded.When exposed to extremely low temperatures, the virus completely dies and the wart is destroyed.This method is painless and the postoperative scars are almost invisible.If the wart is large or the patient's threshold of sensitivity is very high, then the doctor may decide to use local anesthesia.After the operation, a black crust forms at the site of the wart, which cannot be removed under any circumstances.It will be rejected by itself after 4-5 weeks.If the wart is very large, after 3-4 weeks the damaged area is treated again.
- Electrocoagulation.This method involves burning the tumor with an electric current.Electrocoagulation is used in hard-to-reach areas and can be used to remove warts on mucous membranes.Disadvantages include a relatively large list of contraindications: disorders of the general somatic condition, individual intolerance to anesthetics, inflammatory skin diseases, etc.
- Laser removal of warts.This is the most advanced method of removing all kinds of warts.The duration of the operation is only a few minutes.The postoperative wound heals quickly and does not require special care.After the operation, no trace of the wart remains.There is no age limit;this method can also be used to treat warts in small children.
- Surgical excision of warts.It is used less and less, especially to remove large warts.The method is quite painful, accompanied by heavy bleeding, and the postoperative wound often does not heal well, leaving a scar.
- X-ray radiation.This method is used to treat plantar warts.
However, the treatment of warts can be not only surgical, but also medicinal.Today, for the treatment of various types of warts, there are a number of topical drugs that can destroy the structure of the wart, thereby making it suitable for topical treatment.Often, the treatment of warts is possible with the help of a special ointment that will remove warts quickly and painlessly.
The treatment of warts is primarily the destruction of the growth that forms on the surface of the skin.Drug treatment corresponds to drugs that can be classified into several groups:
- Necrotic;
- Keratolytics (a number of drugs help treat warts by dissolving them).
- Components for cryotherapy.
- Various antiviral drugs.
- Medicines that can strengthen immunity.
Treatment of warts using the above means may not have an immediate effect.Repeated use of medication may be required to remove a wart.But in a number of other cases, warts do not need to be treated at all - after a while they disappear by themselves.
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 after 3 months (30% of cases).If we are talking about an old wart, it is likely that self-healing will occur after 2 years (and this is 50% of cases).Adults are the least responsive to self-medication.Treatment of warts in adults is facilitated by drugs or surgical procedures.
Treating a wart can be complicated by its unpredictable behavior.The reason for such complex treatment may be a late visit to the doctor, when the wart swells in size, shape or color has changed.Usually the second appears next to a wart soon, and then their number increases, which makes treatment difficult.
If the wart therapy is done correctly, it will either cause the wart to disappear completely or gradually disappear.At the same time, there is no need to be afraid of a new wart that appears.