Warts
Warts are flat keratinized benign formations caused by the human papillomavirus. This is a fairly common disease most often found in children and adolescents and is an epidermal tumor with a diameter of several millimeters to several centimeters.
The content of the article:
The cause of warts and pathogenesis
Types of warts
Diagnosis of warts
Treatment of warts
The main methods of destruction of warts
Warts
Warts can affect both the skin of the hands, feet and face, as well as the 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, can change their color and shape. In addition, such neoplasms create 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 are capable of degeneration into malignant tumors.
The cause of warts and pathogenesis
Warts are provoked by a filtering virus. It is impossible to examine it under a microscope or “catch” it with bacterial filters. Such viruses include the human papillomavirus (HPV). Anyone can get infected with it, but there are people who are more at risk of infection than others. To date, more than 120 human papilloma viruses have been studied. It is known that the cause of the appearance of warts are viruses of the 2nd and 4th types. Especially these types of viruses are associated with the appearance of warts on the hands.
Constant use of the sauna, swimming pool, shared beach or gym can cause HPV infection. In addition, if a person’s professional activity consists in periodic contact with fresh meat or fish, then he cannot feel safe.
You can get infected both by contact with the carrier of the virus, and by household means when sharing household items with an infected person. Warts spread especially quickly in children’s groups (kindergartens, schools, sports sections, etc.). Maceration (natural swelling of the epidermis, which occurs in people of certain professions) or minor skin injuries are considered predisposing factors. The incubation period can last from 5-6 to 16 weeks. As a rule, infection with the human papillomavirus is asymptomatic and often goes unnoticed by the patient.
But, what is the common cause of the appearance 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 a wart. Contact with the carrier of the virus (in fact, the causes of warts) occurs by shaking hands, touching handrails or railings in public places. An interesting fact is that a person infected with such a virus may not be aware of its presence. He learns about it when a wart appears. In addition, the cause of warts is often a reduced human immunity. As practice shows, even if a person manages to strengthen his immunity, warts do not disappear anywhere, since the virus continues to live in the blood, being the reason for the new appearance of warts.
Types of warts
In dermatology, it is customary to distinguish between ordinary, plantar, senile and flat (juvenile) warts. Each of the types of warts has its own characteristic features.
Ordinary type
Ordinary warts outwardly look like non-inflamed nodules of small size and dense consistency. Ordinary warts have a flattened or hemispherical shape, may be slightly darkish or have the color of normal skin. Most often, such warts are localized on the hands, palms, face and other areas of the skin. In most cases, these neoplasms are painless. The exception is warts located in the nail area. They will be quite painful and difficult to treat. Usually the appearance of such warts occurs in childhood.
Causes of common warts
What are the causes of the appearance of common warts in children? It’s simple: the cause of the wart may be an ordinary scratch or abrasion, through which the human papillomavirus (HPV) enters the skin. Having penetrated into the body, the virus begins to multiply actively, concentrating mainly in the basal skin layer, which causes the appearance of the first warts after a month or two. It is important to note that the appearance of a wart may not be a mandatory symptom of the development of this virus in the child’s body. If a child has a strong immune system, then he can prevent an extremely pronounced form of the disease, in which warts appear one after another. It’s just that the virus will live in the body, while not showing itself externally in any way.
If we have found out the causes of the appearance of warts of the ordinary type, we should now talk about the symptomatic feature. As you know, such warts usually appear on the back of the hand or foot. An ordinary wart has a rounded 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.
It is also interesting that the causes of the appearance of vulgar warts are the warts themselves. It means that next to one vulgar wart, a second one often occurs. The latter is popularly called a “kissing” wart.
Plantar type
Plantar warts can appear in both adults and children. Due to the fact that plantar warts are not detected immediately, they are difficult to treat. Such neoplasms are localized in places of the greatest pressure. They interfere with a person when walking, are quite painful and can grow to the size of a chicken egg. Sometimes patients mistake keratinized plantar warts for calluses or skin scuffs. A wart differs from a corn by the presence of papillary growths.
Type of flat warts
Flat juvenile warts are small epidermal tumors of small size, having a yellowish or pale pink color. Most often, such warts occur on the forehead, chin or cheeks of the patient, as well as on the neck and hands (more often on the back side). There are two types of juvenile warts — filamentous and flat papillomas localized on the mucous membranes
Type of senile warts
Senile warts affect patients of both sexes over the age of 40. Localization of the pathological process occurs in closed areas of the skin: the abdomen, back and chest. Senile warts have a flat shape and are covered with characteristic scales. If the scales are removed, papillary growths become visible.
Diagnosis of warts
The diagnosis of 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. Nevertheless, the common wart should be differentiated from keratoma, nevus, tuberculous lesions of the skin, warty basal cell carcinoma, polyps, calluses, skin cancer and other dermatological diseases.
To finally confirm the differential diagnosis, additional blood tests for human papillomavirus (HPV) may be prescribed to the patient. Such a study is carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Treatment of warts
Before starting therapy, you should definitely seek medical advice. Only a specialist is able to make a correct differential diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. There are many “grandmother’s recipes” for warts, but testing them on yourself is not only not reasonable, but also very dangerous to health, because a wart is not just a cosmetic defect, but a very serious disease.
Treatment of various warts is aimed at its removal. The method of destruction of the wart is chosen individually, taking into account the location and nature of the course of the pathological process. Warts are often multiple in nature, but it is enough to remove one “maternal” tumor and then all the others disappear on their own over time. Warts, whose treatment with conservative methods has proved ineffective, are subject to destruction.
The main methods of destruction of warts
There are a number of progressive methods by which the destruction of warts is carried out. The most effective among them are the following:
Cryodestruction. This method is based on exposure to liquid nitrogen or dry ice directly on the wart. The damaged area of the skin is frozen, after which it is rejected. Under the influence of extremely low temperature, the virus completely dies, 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, then the doctor may decide to use local anesthesia. After the operation, a black crust forms on the site of the wart, which in no case can be removed. After 4-5 weeks, it will be rejected on its own. If the wart was very large, then after 3-4 weeks, the affected area is re-treated.
Electrocoagulation. This method consists in burning out the neoplasm with an electric current. Electrocoagulation is used in hard-to-reach places and can be used to remove warts on the mucous membranes. The disadvantages include a relatively large list of contraindications: violation of the general somatic condition, individual intolerance to anesthetics, inflammatory skin diseases, etc.
Laser destruction of warts. This is the most progressive method of removing warts of any kind. The duration of the operation is only a few minutes. The postoperative wound heals quickly and does not require special care. After surgery, no traces of the wart remain. 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 often, only to remove warts of particularly large size. The method is quite painful, accompanied by copious bleeding, and the postoperative wound often heals poorly, leaving a scar.
X-ray irradiation. This method is used to treat plantar warts.
However, the treatment of warts can be not only operative, but also medicamental. Today, for the treatment of various types of warts, there are a number of topical medications that allow you to destroy the structure of the wart, thereby conforming to local treatment. Among the most common and well-known drugs for the treatment of warts: Solkoderm and Kollomak. Often the treatment of warts is possible with the help of a special ointment, which will allow you to quickly and painlessly eliminate the wart.
Treatment of warts is primarily the destruction of the formed growth on the surface of the skin. Medications that can be attributed to several groups correspond to drug treatment:
Necrotizing (Vartek, Condiline Nicomed, Solkoderm);
Keratolytics (a number of drugs that contribute to the treatment of warts by melting it: Collomac, Salipod).
Components for cryotherapy.
Various antiviral drugs.
Drugs that can increase immunity.
Treatment of warts by means of the above means may not give an instant effect. To eliminate the wart, repeated use of medications may be required. However, in some other cases, the treatment of warts is not necessary at all — after a while they pass 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 a wart that is more outdated, then most likely self-healing will occur after 2 years (and this is 50% of cases). Education in adults is the least likely to be treated independently. The treatment of warts in adults is facilitated by medications or surgical procedures.
Treatment of a wart can be complicated by its unpredictable behavior. The reason for such complicated treatment may be an untimely visit to the doctor, when the wart was inflated in size, it changed shape or color. Usually, a second wart soon appears near one, then their number increases, which also complicates treatment.
If the therapy of the wart is carried out correctly, then this will lead either to the complete disappearance of the wart, or to a gradual one. At the same time, you can not be afraid of a new wart that has appeared.
