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Warts |
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RELATED PAGES A Wart is a small hormy tumour from the skin. It is an overgrowth of skin cells, generally caused by infection with a common virus. Of course, warts are known to be benign although their presence often causes symptoms primarily by creating pressure points, or cosmetic problems. Warts can take a wide variety of appearances: tiny flesh colored lumps, sometimes with a dark core, thin and frond-like often on the neck and face, flat and soft, or hard and pebble- like on the soles of the feet. In warm moist areas such as the genitalia, they may grow exuberantly, causing large accumulations achieving impressive sizes.
Warts are known to have a viral cause and are usually spread by person-to-person contact. However, the development of warts will depend upon the individual's immune response to the virus. This is poorly understood even today because although people with known immune deficiencies are more susceptible to warts, most sufferers are immunologically normal. It is estimated that about 25% of cases resolve spontaneously within 6 months, 50% within a year, and 66% within 2 years. Other new warts may arise in the meantime, and teenagers (15-20 years old) are considered most vulnerable.
Conventional Medical Treatments Despite the abundant folklore surrounding warts, treatment efforts should be restrained, since serious morbidity is rare, recurrences common, and complications likely if treatment is more vigorous than justified. Location largely guides treatment. Each of the following conventional treatments are considered to be about 80% effective. Salicylic/lactic acid paste: this destroys the skin cells and may be applied at home on a daily basis. the destroyed layers of skin are then regularly scraped away. Several weeks treatment is often necessary, but effectiveness is comparable to other methods. Liquid nitrogen: This is only applied by a medical doctor. Liquid nitrogen freezes the wart, which then forms a scab and drops off. Repeat applications are sometimes needed. Podophyllin: This is a topical cell poison, commonly used for venereal warts. It causes irritation, but it is considered to be effective. Surgery: Surgical procedures will remove the wart(s) and is commonly advised for the removal of larger warts. The main concern about surgery is that it can leave scarring and, like other medical treatments, it does not effect the cause of the condition and re-occurrences are common. Surgery to warts on the sole of the foot (plantar warts) may leave scar tissue that causes as much pressure or pain as the original wart. In such cases the symptoms will be permanent from the scar but often temporary if the wart is left alone. It is for this reason that no treatment at all is often advised for plantar warts. When treatment is necessary, acid paste is often the first treatment used and surgery and other methods should be done only by experienced physicians.
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