There are very few people who would not face a problem like warts on the body. These developments can occur in the body in adolescents, adults and the elderly. Usually, warts are just a cosmetic problem that affects a person's appearance. And only in rare cases are these formations a real threat to health.
What is a wart?
Our skin has a smooth surface. However, in some cases, prominent skin growths may occur. They are called warts. Usually these are permanent formations that do not change for many years.
The mechanism of warts is the development of the upper layer of the skin. The sizes of the formations range from 1 mm to several centimeters. This parameter depends on the type of formation and its location on the skin. Fusion of many warts is often observed. The color of the skin is usually flesh, but it can take on other shades, for example, pink or brown.
Medicine classifies warts as benign neoplasms. They do not grow and do not penetrate the surrounding tissues.
In the International Classification of Diseases, the following codes are assigned to warts:
- B07 - wart virus,
- A63. 0 - wart aphrodisiacs,
- L82 Seborrheic Keratoma
Most types of warts are viral, sexually transmitted warts are aphrodisiacs and seborrheic keratomas are senile warts that are not contagious.
The following skin lesions should be distinguished from warts:
- nevi (moles),
- good,
- malignant tumors,
- basal cell carcinoma,
- broad warts resulting from syphilis.
Some of these formations can be life threatening. Therefore, if a suspicious formation occurs in 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 warts occurs as follows. The human papillomavirus enters the skin cells and causes them to divide rapidly. As a result, growths or nipples develop on the skin. However, there are types of warts that the virus has nothing to do with.
Strictly, the beast does not always appear on the skin. Often these formations are found in the mucous membranes, in the bladder, in the larynx, in the cervix, etc. However, it is common to call warts only papules that appear on the skin.
Warts can be found anywhere on the body. However, some species have their favorite places. For example, warts usually form on the groin and anus; the warts prefer folds of skin on the upper body.
The human papillomavirus does not multiply outside the body. However, it can stay in hot and humid places for a long time. This is why people can often get infected from it when they visit baths, saunas, swimming pools. But the virus does not live long in the countryside - it is neutralized by the sun's ultraviolet radiation.
According to studies, about 80% of the world's population is infected with some type of human papillomavirus. There are a total of two hundred strains of these viruses. Some viruses are relatively harmless, others lead to papillomas and others can even cause malignancies. Some strains can be transmitted from person to person. As a result, certain types of warts can be contagious. However, 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 animal papillomaviruses do not multiply in the human body.
You can become infected with a 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 injuries and sexually.
The papillomavirus that has penetrated the body does not always cause the disease. Usually, disease-related factors are stress, reduced 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 different types of warts:
- ordinary (vulgar),
- youth (level),
- warts (warts),
- senile,
- filamentous.
Birthmarks (nevi) should be distinguished 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.
Succulent warts
This type of wart occurs in 70% of cases. It is caused by the papilloma virus. Externally, the vulva (ordinary) nipples look like small semicircular formations on the surface of the skin. They are usually completely painless. The size of the formations is from several mm to 1 cm. Their surface is usually irregular, irregular, often resembling the surface of a cauliflower. Color - flesh, grayish, yellowish-brown. Common locations - hands, face, fingers, lips, knees, elbows. Mucous membranes are rarely affected.
Ordinary nipples can often go away on their own. The peculiarity of this type of papilloma is that they often grow not only, but in groups. You can often find a large nipple, around which small ones grow. If you remove the larger nipple, then usually the small ones disappear.
Common papillomas can occur at any age. They often occur in school-age children.
Adolescent warts
This type of papilloma usually occurs in children and adolescents. But in mature people, they can also occur. These nipples are also often referred to as flat nipples. They represent only 4% of all warts.
They are often in hand. They can also be seen 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 normal nipples, they pose no significant risk and can go away on their own. They do not usually cause physical discomfort, but they can make the appearance worse.
Flat nipples are usually flesh-colored and protrude slightly above the surface of the skin (about 1-2 mm). They can reach 5 mm in diameter, but are usually smaller than the vulgar ones. Flattened nipples can appear near wounds and cuts. Young nipples usually have a smooth surface and irregular, though well-defined, borders. Due to the lack of a stratum corneum on the surface, they may look shiny.
Plantar warts
This is an extremely unpleasant type of skin growth that occurs on the feet. Sometimes they make mistakes about corn. However, plantar warts have a characteristic that distinguishes them from corns. If a plantar wart is damaged, it usually bleeds. For corn, this phenomenon is not typical. Although on the outside, the nipples on the legs may look like calluses - they are usually hard and keratinized. Their color is usually dirty gray, dark or dirty yellow with a brown tinge. Black dots may appear on their surface.
Most often, a plantar wart is found on the foot. But they can also meet in groups as well as grow up together. Plantar papillae grow not only outside the skin, but also deeper.
Externally, warts of this type may look ordinary. They are usually semicircular in shape. However, if a person is constantly developing such a skin formation, then it can take on a flat form.
The appearance of papules on the soles has nothing to do with age, it can occur in both young and old. These formations can also be seen in children.
Plantar papillae can cause discomfort and even severe pain when walking. When you go to such a development, it seems like you are going to a small pebble. Externally, warts sometimes look like thorns. Hence, people call this type of nipple thorns.
At rest, these formations can cause itching. Like other types of papilloma, plantar warts develop under the influence of the papilloma virus. The virus often infects the skin of the feet from the environment. For example, it is not uncommon to detect this virus by visiting a swimming pool without rubber shoes. Uncomfortable shoes also contribute to the appearance of skin lesions, as they often occur in places where the shoes rub the feet. Heavy sweating and poor foot hygiene are also factors.
It is not recommended to touch the nipples on the sole with your hands, as this can spread the virus to other areas of the skin.
Treatment of plantar warts
Sometimes nipples of this type can disappear on their own. This happens 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 the training is felt by painful sensations. If a growth in the leg causes severe pain, does not allow walking, then it should be removed. Also, the training over 1 cm must be removed. The removal operation can be performed only in the doctor's office.
If there is any doubt that the formation in the foot belongs to any type of papilloma, the doctor can perform a series of diagnostic procedures. These include scraping and analysis of the stratum corneum, PCR analysis for the presence of the papillomavirus genome. An ultrasound scan is performed to determine the shape and size of the formation. Foot warts require a differential diagnosis from syphilis warts. However, extensive diagnostic measures are usually not performed, as it is not difficult to diagnose the beast in the foot.
Medication can sometimes be attempted to remove a growth in the foot. For the removal of warts, preparations with salicylic acid, necrotic agents, freezing aerosols and especially plasters are suitable. However, drug removal is usually not a quick process. You can quickly remove a wart on the sole only with the help of tools available in medical institutions. These can be methods:
- laser,
- surgical,
- electrocoagulation,
- cold disaster,
- radio wave.
Each type of process has its own advantages and disadvantages. The surgical method, for example, is mainly used for major skin developments, as it seriously injures the skin.
Genital warts
This is a special type of wart. They are usually found in the genital area. Their shape is also unusual, as they look like nipples (hence their name). However, warts can also have an irregular, cauliflower-like or mosquito-like shape. The viruses that cause this type of wart are usually sexually transmitted. Warts can also be seen on the mucous membranes of the anus. Therefore, these warts are often called regenerative or aphrodisiacs. Less commonly, warts are found in the armpits, in women below the mammary glands. Warts are flesh to pink in color. Sometimes multiple genital warts can develop together. Also, warts of this type can grow in large sizes. Warts can cause painful sensations during sexual intercourse, defecation. If injured, they may bleed. Women with genital warts can also develop cervical cancer.
Philomorphic warts
This type of wart is extremely common. Ants warts, or stitches, often grow in large groups. Prefer stitches 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, below the mammary glands in women. They usually do not bother a person and do not hurt, but they can itch.
Externally, filamentous warts look like long threads. However, warts with a thin filamentous stem to which a thick body, usually spherical or hemispherical, is attached are often found. They are also filamentous. Such warts are called pendulums.
Most warts of this type range in size from 1 mm to 5 mm. There are also stitches larger than 1 cm. Sometimes many filamentous warts grow together.
Acrochords are rare in children. They are typical for people over 35 years old. And over the years, their number usually increases. Among people over 70, this type of wart is observed in 100%. The tendency to have a large number of needles in the body can also be inherited. Acrochords are often associated with being overweight. In women, they can occur during pregnancy.
Threaded warts have an unpleasant characteristic. If a wart filament is torn, a new one will soon develop in its place. Acrochords rarely go away on their own. Their appearance is promoted by increased sweating, decreased immunity.
Aging warts
This type of wart has another name - seborrheic keratoma. It usually occurs in people over 60 years of age. Unlike other types of warts, senile keratomas are not caused by the human papillomavirus. The exact reasons for their appearance have not been documented. Corneas are most likely related to age-related changes in the body. They grow from the basal layer of the skin, which is why they are often called basal cell papillomas. Although this is not the right name, because real papillomas are caused only by viruses. Heredity plays an important role in the appearance of these tumors. Aging corneas often look like melanoma. Therefore, if they occur, it is necessary to consult a doctor in order to be able to diagnose. However, senile keratomas usually do not require treatment and do not turn into malignant tumors.
Externally, the corneas look like pink or yellowish nipples 1-2 mm thick. Their size ranges from 2 mm to 3 cm. Occasionally, warts of this type reach a size of 4-6 cm. The corneas have an oily, easily removable crust. Their surface is irregular, like a wave. Growing up, corneas often become like mushrooms and change color to black or dark brown. Their surface becomes hard, they can break.
Most often, corneas are found in the neck and chest. It can be observed in groups. They occur less often on the hands and face. They are not present in the mucous membranes. Usually, there are no more than 20 corneas in the body. If a person has a lot of aging warts, it is often due to hereditary factors.
Elderly corneas do not go away on their own. People with excessive amounts of seborrheic corneas in the body are advised to increase the amount of vitamin C in their diet to prevent new growths. You should also avoid exposure to direct sunlight, overheating, hypothermia and stress.
Treatment
Most nipples are not a serious threat. However, after the injury, they can hurt, bleed. After that, there is a risk of developing malignant tumors. Although in papillae and corneas, the risk of malignant transformation is much lower than in moles.
Papules are usually treated with removal (surgically, with the help of cold current, high frequency electricity or laser). Therapeutic treatments are usually less effective.
The indication for removal is the pain of skin formation, its large size, bleeding, change in shape, position in an uncomfortable place (for example, on the tip of the finger, on the soles, in the area of the genitals), aestheticsestimates. Warts are also subject to removal.