Warts are small growths on the skin on the body or face.Their development is associated with the activity of the human papillomavirus (HPV).There are about a hundred strains of this virus, each of which causes the formation of different types of warts.
What is a wart?
Even on the most well-groomed and healthy skin, warts can appear - small round nodules that are benign neoplasms.
A wart is a benign growth on the skin of the body that is associated with the activity of the HPV virus.About 70% of the world's population is infected with this virus.Due to its action, a pathological process of epidermal cell division begins, which leads to the appearance of a small skin growth or wart.
There are different types of warts caused by different strains of viruses.Not all warts are viral in nature;Age growths that appear due to changes in metabolic processes in the body are identified separately.
To get rid of the growth, you need to understand the reasons for its appearance.The following reminder of the types of warts on the body, their characteristics and methods of combating them will help.
Common warts
Simple or common warts are small round growths that do not differ in color from skin tone.They arise from the action of the human papilloma virus.Preferred localization areas are areas with increased sweating.Vulgar warts most commonly appear on the hands, feet, back, and sides.
From the moment of infection with the virus to the appearance of such growths, approximately several months pass.If a person's immunity is strong, the body itself will defeat the virus and warts will not appear on the skin.The activation of the pathological process and the formation of unaesthetic growths occurs against the background of a decrease in general and local immunity.Due to the peculiarities of the location of vulgar warts, this process is often caused by reduced local immunity, for example, when the skin is damaged, or excessive sweating of the feet and palms.
Vulgar warts are considered harmless growths.They almost never degenerate into a malignant neoplasm.
Common warts can occur in anyone.They occur equally frequently in children, adolescents and adults.You can remove them in several ways:
- cryodestruction;
- Laser;
- surgical method;
- alkaline preparations;
- Folk remedies
It is recommended to remove large vulgar warts in a dermatologist's office, as self-treatment can lead to scarring.
Common warts are the most common type.
Flat warts
It is quite easy to identify the types of warts yourself from a photo.One of the rare types are flat warts.They account for no more than 4% of cases of skin growths.
Characteristics of flat warts:
- Diameter no more than 5 mm;
- slight elevation above the skin;
- irregular shape;
- clear boundaries;
- smooth surface;
- slight pigmentation.
These warts are slightly different in color from healthy skin - they are slightly pink or brown, making them easy to spot.The second name for flat warts is juvenile.They occur more often in children and adolescents.Classic localizations are the skin of the legs, hands, face.
Juvenile warts are viral in nature and are caused by HPV.They are not prone to degeneration into a malignant neoplasm and are therefore relatively safe.
Such growths do not pose a threat to health and do not cause any discomfort other than aesthetic discomfort.If there are a lot of them or they are located in open areas of the body, removing the growth will not be difficult.To avoid scarring, the use of cryodestruction, electrocoagulation or laser removal is recommended.
Condylomas
Condylomas and papillomas pose a much greater threat to women's health than to men.
Condylomas are small growths with a papillary structure that affect the external genitalia in women and men.These growths are viral in nature;The HPV strain that causes such warts to appear is sexually transmitted.
Features of condylomas:
- small size and presence of a thin leg;
- the color does not differ from the shade of the skin or mucous membrane;
- can fuse into large neoplasms;
- are slightly injured.
Condylomas are types of warts that are easy to recognize in photos.They are most often located on the external genitalia in women and in the area of the glans and on the shaft of the penis in men.Condylomas affect the perineum, the area around the anus, and in rare cases can also occur in the mouth.
Some strains of the HPV virus can cause the development of condylomas on the cervix in women.This type of growth is very dangerous and causes cervical cancer.Common condylomas on the labia minora or penis are usually not classified as oncogenic.
To remove them, liquid nitrogen is most often used.This remedy allows you to eliminate the growth without scarring.The removal of condylomas on the labia can be done using a radio knife.
At home, tumors on the mucous membranes cannot be removed, as the epithelium of the genital organs can be damaged.
Papillomas
Papillomas are a type of skin wart;There are different types of it on the skin.In fact, a vulgar wart is one of the types of papillomas.These growths can appear on any part of the body, including mucous membranes.They are soft, evenly textured balls that protrude above the skin thanks to a small stalk.Papillomas are caused by the HPV virus;Depending on the strain, they can affect both the epidermis and the mucous membranes.The most dangerous places where growths are localized:
- Urethra;
- Larynx;
- Anus;
- armpits;
- groin folds;
- Soles of feet.
Papillomas in the urethra cause physical discomfort as the body perceives them as a potentially dangerous object.They can grow and cause a urethral stricture in men, so they need to be removed.
Growths in the larynx can cause persistent throat irritation and voice changes.Papillomas in the anus can easily be injured and become infected.The growths located in the folds of the skin rub strongly when walking.This can lead to irritation and infection.
Papillomas are potentially dangerous skin tumors.Only a doctor can accurately determine the risk of oncogenicity.
Injuries and damage to such growths can lead to the development of a malignant process.Therefore, papillomas need to be removed from inconvenient places that can be accidentally touched with nails or rubbed on clothes.
Papillomas can occur in people of all ages and genders.To remove them, methods of treating vulgar warts are used.
Keratomas
Common locations for senile keratomas are the back of the hand, face, and neck;more rarely they can be located on the trunk.
A keratoma is a growth in the stratum corneum of the skin.It is a brown spot that protrudes above the skin.The structure of the spot is quite dense, which is due to the keratinization (keratinization) of the upper layer of the epidermis.
The main causes of keratoma formation are exposure to ultraviolet radiation on the skin and age-related changes in the epidermis.Such neoplasms are not a consequence of HPV and belong to age-related dermatological diseases.Keratomas only occur in people over 50 years old.
They are considered safe neoplasms; the degree of oncogenicity is very low.Such growths can be located on any open areas of the body.
The neoplasm itself is a clear cosmetic defect and therefore can be removed.Keratomas should be removed using professional methods – cryodestruction, laser removal, electrocoagulation.Particularly large tumors are removed through surgical removal.
Filiform papillomas
There are different types of warty growths on the body;Filamentous papillomas are among the most common types of warts.They occur in people over 40 years old.Most often, such neoplasms occur in women, as their skin is thinner than that of men.Localization of filamentous papillomas:
- Neck;
- armpits;
- Face;
- eyelids;
- area under the mammary glands;
- Groin folds.
This type of growth is a small, elongated papilla that protrudes above the skin.The dimensions of the papillae are very small - they have a diameter of no more than 1 mm and a length of several mm.
Filamentous growths do not pose a health risk as they almost never degenerate into malignant neoplasms.The only exceptions are cases of severe growth damage and secondary infections.
It is impossible to remove filamentous papillomas with folk remedies or medicines.Due to their small size, aggressive exposure to alkalis and acids can lead to the formation of a deep wound, in its place a large scar remains.To remove these small growths it is better to give preference to laser, electrocoagulation or liquid nitrogen.
Filamentous papillomas often affect the neck and armpits.
Plantar warts
Another manifestation of the HPV virus is plantar warts or plantar warts.These growths are flat plaques that resemble calluses in appearance and appear on the foot.The peculiarity of such a wart is that it goes deep under the skin, while the upper part of the growth is flat and practically does not stand out against the background of healthy epidermis.
Plantar warts grow deep into the skin and hurt when pressure is applied.Both children and adults can encounter them.The spine should be removed using laser, cryodestruction or surgical method.Home remedies are effective only for removing small spines, the diameter of which does not exceed 2-3 mm.
The spines cause severe discomfort, but are harmless because they do not turn into cancer.
A plantar wart is not dangerous, but it does cause discomfort when walking.
Diagnosis – which doctor should I contact?
To diagnose and remove warts on the skin of the body and face, you should consult a dermatologist.To make a diagnosis, a visual examination is performed.An examination with a dermatoscope will help to accurately determine the type of growth.
If growths appear on the genitals, you should contact a gynecologist (for women), a urologist (for men) or a venereologist.To determine the virus strain, PCR analysis of the urogenital swab is required.Based on the results of the examination, the doctor decides on acceptable methods of removing the tumor.