Flat warts are skin formations of a benign nature, which are a flat small nodule, slightly rising above the skin level, up to five millimeters in size.
The content of the article:
Causes of flat warts
Symptoms of a flat wart
Diagnosis of a flat wart
Treatment of a flat wart
Flat wart
These formations are extremely rare and usually account for about four percent of all types of warts. Flat warts are most often found in adolescence and childhood. Due to this, they have another common name — juvenile warts. The treatment of flat warts is engaged in such a field of medicine as dermatology.
Causes of flat warts
The main cause of flat warts (as well as other types of warts such as warts and papillomas) is infection with the human papillomavirus (abbreviated HPV). This virus is usually transmitted from person to person through direct contact, for example, with a handshake, hugs, kisses. There is also a chance to get HPV indirectly through public items, for example, through handrails, handrails, door handles, in public transport and toilets, library books, etc.
Often, infection with the virus occurs when infected through small damage to the skin or mucous membranes. In this case, the virus from the surface layers of the skin penetrates into the human body, where it then persists in the nervous system and at the same time remains for a very, very long period.
The peculiarity is that HPV may not manifest itself for quite a long time. The very appearance of flat warts is a consequence of the active reproduction of the virus in the skin, which leads to the local growth of the wart itself. The virus is usually activated due to a decrease in the overall level of immunity, fright, stress, emotional and physical tension.
Since the human papillomavirus is constantly in the body, this is fraught with frequent recurrences of a flat wart after surgery to remove it. In addition, if the wart is injured or if it is unprofessional treatment, there is a chance of HPV self-infection. As a result, the virus spreads to healthy areas of the skin and threatens to form new flat warts on these areas, which also need to be removed.
Symptoms of a flat wart
A flat wart is a papule (nodule) slightly rising above the skin, having a flat top, and also usually rounded or irregular in shape. A flat wart is characterized by a clear border, smooth surface. The main feature of this type of warts is the absence of processes of keratinization of the skin and the formation of outgrowths. The color of a flat wart usually depends on the coloring of a healthy person’s skin: from bright pink to brown. Their size usually does not exceed five millimeters. Flat warts are also characterized by the absence of a skin pattern on the surface of the neoplasm itself.
Most often, flat warts occur in small groups from a certain number of separate parts that are not prone to fusion. They are usually localized on the skin of the face (most often occur on the chin and forehead), the back of the hand and lower leg. Flat warts do not bring any painful or unpleasant sensations, but despite this they are a very noticeable cosmetic defect. Their presence can cause the patient some psychological discomfort, especially when the warts are localized in the face area. In rare cases, a slight itching may occur in the area of the location of the warts.
Diagnosis of a flat wart
The dermatologist determines the diagnosis of a flat wart due to a detailed visual examination and dermatoscopy of the neoplasm. When conducting a histological analysis of the tissues of a flat wart, a dermatologist has the opportunity to finally and most accurately confirm the diagnosis. To detect the presence of infection with the human papillomavirus, a PCR study is conducted. Patients who have suspected oncological diseases, in the presence of warts, should be examined for a high-risk carcinogenic papilloma virus.
A flat wart is usually diagnosed and differentiated in comparison with other types of warts. The common wart has a larger size and not such a flat surface; the threadlike wart has overgrowth; the plantar wart has a completely different localization.
Treatment of a flat wart
Quite often, flat warts tend to disappear spontaneously. In addition, because of their shape, they are not so often injured. For this reason, the removal of the neoplasm is mainly due to the patient’s desire to get rid of the cosmetic defect.
There are a huge number of recipes, methods of treatment and removal of flat warts in the people. It should be remembered that self-medication leads to the development of various complications: the spread of HPV throughout the body and the formation of new warts. When solving this problem, it is necessary to contact a qualified dermatologist. He will be able to more accurately diagnose a flat wart, choose the most appropriate individual treatment method for the patient, and, if necessary, conduct an antiviral course of HPV therapy.
Taking into account the frequent localization of flat warts on the face, you should immediately know that such methods of physical impact as surgical excision or electrocoagulation are not suitable for their removal, since these methods of therapy quite often lead to the formation of scars in the place where the wart was removed. Also, such a method of removal as cryodestruction is not recommended, since there is a risk of excessively deep freezing of skin tissues, which can also lead to the appearance of scars.
At the moment, the most effective methods that give a good cosmetic effect are such as radio wave removal and laser removal. Thanks to these methods, it is possible to ensure an optimal depth of exposure and conduct simultaneous coagulation of blood vessels. Also, this method prevents the further spread of the virus through the body.
Frequent complications when removing flat warts are: burns, scarring, incomplete removal of the wart, which leads to its proliferation. Modern removal methods, as well as the professionalism and experience of a dermatologist, help to minimize the chance of complications. The main problem is still the chance of recurrence of the disease after its removal. This problem is associated with the constant presence of the human papillomavirus in the body. For this reason, the removal of warts is performed against the background of antiviral therapy. This stimulates the transition of the virus into the latent phase and reduces the chance of relapse.
