Warts are a benign skin neoplasm that occurs due to the proliferation of cells in the epidermis and papillary dermis, caused by the human papillomavirus, which is transmitted by contact.
Warts: causes, types, diagnosis and treatment
Warts are a predominantly localized benign formation caused by epidermal hyperplasia. Papillomatous growths and papules appear more often due to the activity of viral infections. The main reason for their appearance is the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV) in the body. HPV infection occurs through home contact, as a result of which the viral flora penetrates the skin or mucous membranes. Various injuries to the skin and mucous membranes, as well as weakened immunity, increase the risk of infection.
As statistics show, more than 60% of the population are carriers of HPV. At the same time, symptomatic HPV may not appear throughout life. Warts, many of which are called papillomas, appear on the skin and mucous membranes only if there are favorable factors.
There are different types of warts, the appearance of which is caused by one type of virus or another. Each type of skin lesion can be localized to either the skin or mucous membranes. It is not always possible to eliminate the virus from the body.
Warts on legs, arms and other parts of the body in adults
Men and women are equally susceptible to infection with the human papillomavirus and, accordingly, the appearance of neoplasms such as warts on the skin and mucous membranes. Penetration of the virus into the body is possible, both with the usual handshake or with the use of general hygiene products, as well as during sexual intercourse. Once in the human body, the virus enters the squamous skin epithelium and actively multiplies in it. The incubation period for HPV can be from one to one and a half months to six months or more.
Warts on the face, genitals and other parts of the body in women
Warts in women can appear on any part of the body at any time of life. In shape, color and size, they can be varied, ranging from small flat warts on the face of a white color, ending with dark genital warts on the mucous membranes of the genitals. It is worth noting that genital warts, according to research results, can cause the development of cervical cancer. Also, official confirmation got the relationship of warts, which are an external manifestation of HPV, with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Papillomas and warts in men
The body of the stronger sex is less susceptible to infection and active reproduction of the virus in general and the appearance of papillomas and warts in particular. Only a sharp decrease in immunity caused by various diseases can provoke the appearance of benign formations in the skin and mucous membranes in men. It should be noted that papillomas and warts on the genitals in men can be located in the area of the coronary groove and frenum, sometimes the head or body of the penis, in the integrity of the entrance to the urethra and directly in the mucous membranes, in the perianal region.
What are the types of warts in children?
People of all ages are susceptible to the appearance of warts. But warts are more common in children and adolescents. The reason for this may be various papillomatous viruses. Infection of the baby's body usually occurs through contacts and household tools. Children are much more likely to communicate closely with other babies in large groups and easily "catch" different viruses from each other. In addition, a baby can be infected with the papillomatous virus from the mother during intrauterine development or birth.
Warts: causes of appearance
Many factors can contribute to the appearance of warts. Transmission of the papillomatous virus, as mentioned earlier, occurs through close contact with an infected person or his belongings. Moreover, the carrier of the virus, which does not have any external manifestations, can also act as a source of infection. Also, autoinoculation or, in other words, self-infection is not excluded. So warts on the face and neck can appear after shaving and cosmetic skin. The same goes for papillomas and warts on the legs, chin and armpits. Various skin lesions only increase the risk of contracting HPV. This often happens in swimming pools, gyms and saunas.
Provocative factors
The virus that causes wart formation is unlikely to penetrate the body of a healthy person with strong immunity. The risk of infection may be increased by:
- Damage to the skin and mucous membranes.
If they are present, contact with the element of an infected person or an object on the surface of which there is a virus is likely to result in infection. HPV can stay in the environment for about 2-3 hours. During this period of time, the chances of someone becoming infected with it are quite high. Injuries (wounds, cuts, scratches), sweating and, accordingly, constant skin moisture only increases it.
- High humidity and heat.
Such a provocative factor is more important for the appearance of warts on the feet. Uncomfortable park shoes that cause excessive foot sweating, calluses and skin lesions can cause epithelial growths such as foot warts.
- Weakening of the immune system.
Even with the presence of a virus in the body, the appearance of warts is not always noticed. A person can carry the virus for decades and not be aware of it. With strong immunity, the body constantly suppresses the virus, not allowing it to multiply. As soon as the immune system is weakened, the virus is immediately activated, which is accompanied by the appearance of external manifestations.
Seborrheic warts
With age, significant changes occur in the human body, which are reflected not only in appearance but also in health. So a violation of the distribution of basal cells of the epidermis leads to the appearance of benign formations, called seborrheic warts. In another way, such warts are called senile. Quite simple enough to identify senile warts by their characteristic appearance:
- they are represented by papules or plaques that emerge on the surface of the skin.
- neoplasms are round or oval;
- they are located, as a rule, on the skin of closed areas of the body, as well as on the face and head;
- the color of the warts can be yellow-brown and sometimes even black;
- the size of the formations can vary from 0. 5 to 4 cm.
The boundaries of seborrheic lesion are clear. They protrude slightly above the skin and may flatten slightly.
If you get these warts on your hands, face, body or head, you should see a doctor. To determine the most effective, safe tactics for their treatment and removal, it is necessary to perform differential diagnoses, which will distinguish seborrheic warts from:
- Pigmented nevi.
These neoplasms are benign. Like seborrheic warts, pigmented nevi are yellow-brown or dark, closer to black. Sometimes the papillomatous surface of the nevus is covered with hair. Their size can be different. In shape, neoplasms of this type may be represented by giant plaques or flat papules with a smooth surface.
- Dermatofibromas.
Such a benign formation is formed by the skin and connective tissue. In their appearance, dermatofibromas have a certain resemblance to moles and warts. The surface of the formations may be smooth and keratinized. Their shape is round. Dermatofibroma is partially localized in the upper layers of the skin and partially protrudes above its surface. Most often, single neoplasms are found. Their color can be different: from gray-pink to purple. Sometimes dermatofibromas are brown or black. The size of the formations is approximately 1 cm.
- Melanoma.
Unlike dermatofibroma and pigmented nevus, melanomas are malignant tumors. They appear at the site of moles or near tissue sites. Factors that provoke the malignancy of skin cells are ultraviolet rays, various damages.
Human papillomavirus infection
As mentioned earlier, HPV is the cause of HPV infection. To date, more than a hundred varieties of it are known, which can affect the body in one way or another. Each type of virus causes certain types of warts:
- HPV 1 - benign formations on the palms and soles;
- HPV 2 - common (vulgar);
- HPV 3, 10, 28 and 29 - flat neoplasms;
- HPV 4 - warts on the soles of the feet and vulgar warts;
- HPV 6, 11 - laryngeal papillomatosis and genital warts;
- HPV 5, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19-25, 36, 39, 40 - generalized manifestation of the virus, which is a benign epidermodysplasia;
- HPV 7 - vulgar warts;
- HPV 13, 32 - focal proliferation of epithelial tissue;
- HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35 - malignant neoplasms such as carcinomas and genital dysplasia.
In addition, with a weakening of immunity, the human body becomes more susceptible to papillomatous viruses of types 26 and 27. In some cases, HPV 30, 34, 37 and 38 can become the cause of benign and malignant tumors.
It is also worth noting that some types of papillomatous viruses are transmitted by domestic contact, while others are sexually transmitted.
Types of warts: common, plantar and other, treatment
Quite a large number of varieties of papillomatous viruses and other causes of warts cause different localization of formations and their different characteristics. So, ka:
- Common warts, also called vulgar warts.
Most often localized on the skin of the hands. These growths can range in color from flesh to brown.
- Plantar warts.
Such formations grow deep in the tissues, causing painful sensations and are associated with capillary thrombosis, which bleeds even with the slightest damage. Plantar warts require treatment by a doctor, not cutting them yourself or in a nail salon.
- Flat warts.
Their localization, as a rule, is observed on the skin of the neck, face, chest, knee flexors and forearms.
- Anogenital warts, commonly known as genital warts.
Such formations affect the skin and mucosa of the external genitalia, as well as the perianal region. Their localization is possible at the entrance to the urethra with close proximal spread.
- Perianal warts.
Such formations are most often found in the anus and vagina, as well as in the adjacent tissues of the external genitalia in women. In men, perianal warts are located in the anus.
- Papillomatosis of the larynx.
This manifestation of the virus occurs mainly in childhood. The measures can be numerous, which is a special danger to life, causing blockage of the respiratory tract.
Anogenital warts
Anogenital warts are benign neoplasms localized on the skin and mucous membranes of the external genitalia, as well as in the perianal region. All anogenital warts are usually divided into:
- Typical condyloma.
Such warts are located, as a rule, at the entrance of the vagina, in the anus and also in the inner layer of the foreskin. In their form, such neoplasms may resemble cauliflower.
- Papular warts.
The surface of such neoplasms is smooth and does not contain keratinized layers.
- Hyperkeratotic warts.
Unlike previous warts, the surface of such anogenital formations is covered with particles of keratinizing tissue. For the most part, hyperkeratotic warts are located on the outer sheet of the foreskin, the body of the penis and scrotum in men, and in the labia majora in women.
- Flat warts.
The formations are represented by spots that protrude slightly above the surface of the skin. They are virtually invisible and are not always immediately identified by a person.
Giant Buschke-Levenshtein warts
Genital warts like carcinoma occur when the HPV 16 virus enters the body. According to the results of several studies, HPV viruses of types 1, 6, 11, 18, 31, 33, transmitted both through contact and sexually, can also lead to the appearance of such warts. The second name of such education is the giant Bushke-Levenstein condyloma. Its main differences are:
- progressive rapid increase in size;
- the possibility of re-education after treatment;
- destruction of nearby tissues;
- high probability of malignancy with subsequent development of skin cancer in squamous cells.
Young people and the elderly are more susceptible to this type of neoplasm. In the male body, the virus is manifested by the appearance of genital warts on the glans and foreskin tissues of the penis. Sometimes Buschke-Levenstein condyloma can be located at the base of the penis trunk. In the female body, the formations are usually located in the perianal, anorectal and groin areas. Their appearance on the face, oral mucosa, as well as other areas of the skin and mucous membranes is not excluded.
Common warts on fingers and other parts of the body
The most common benign skin lesions are vulvar warts, also called common warts. Apparently, such formations are strong and dry glow on the skin. Their surface is uneven. Sizes vary within a few millimeters. Most often, such warts are localized on the fingers and hands, as well as on the face. The color of neoplasms is usually gray, yellow-brown or flesh-colored.
Palmar-spinal warts on hands and feet
Warts can easily appear on both the palms and the soles of the feet. They come in a variety of shapes and colors, ranging from pale yellow to dark brown. These epithelial formations are common among the population. They can be superficial and similar to apparent or deep (hyperkeratotic) mosaics.
Treatment of palmar and plantar warts is complex. A dermatologist, during a thorough diagnosis, must necessarily rule out lichen planus and wart tuberculosis.
Flat warts on the face
A flat wart is almost always small and has a smooth (rarely scaly) surface. Its color can practically not change in anything from the color of the skin, so people often live with such formations and do not even notice them. Typically, such flat epithelial formations appear on the skin in whole groups.
The specialist will be able to accurately detect and identify flat warts on the face or, for example, on the back of the hands already at the first appointment. A visual examination will suffice for a competent doctor to understand what he is dealing with. If the dermatologist has doubts about the presumed diagnosis, then additional diagnostics may be scheduled, including laboratory tests.
Diagnosis of human papillomavirus infection
The clinical manifestations of a wart depend mainly on where it has formed. Each individual type of epithelial tumor described above has its own individual characteristics.
- A common wart is characterized by pronounced hyperkeratosis (high rate of corneal layer cell division and desquamation).
It may look like a nodule or dome-shaped papule. Such warts appear mainly in those places where the risk of tissue damage increases, namely on the skin of hands, feet, elbows.
- Flat warts have a flattened tip, they are small in volume and do not exceed 3-4 mm in diameter.
If a wart is visualized in the area of skin folds, then its initial diagnosis can be difficult because papules or such growths can appear as flat or common warts.
- Warts on the soles of the feet can be accompanied by a symptom of pain because these areas of the body are constantly subjected to trauma. The center of such an epithelial tumor may be slightly depressed.
It is also not uncommon for several warts in a single piece to coalesce into a single structure, forming a specific pattern in the shape of a mosaic.
- With regard to filamentous warts, such a problem can appear on the skin of the face.
They grow rapidly, therefore, when detected, they try to be removed as a cosmetic defect.
- Also, warts can be diagnosed in the oral cavity, where the formations are most often represented by small white or pink nodules.
Such a problem is found in extremely rare cases, as a rule, in the appointment of a dentist or during a routine examination of the body.
Warts: treatment
Epithelial tumors in the form of warts are treated only under the strict supervision of the attending physician. Therapy can not be general, because each individual case of occurrence and development of the disease is individual. This is why it is not advisable to use questionable medications on the advice of friends, advertisers or a pharmacist at a pharmacy.
To date, there is no specific therapy for human papillomavirus. This is because the treatment of warts is aimed at eliminating the symptoms of a viral lesion.
If a patient is diagnosed with condyloma, then this type of education necessarily needs a well-chosen therapy because there is a risk of malignant degeneration.
There are several methods for treating warts, each of which has its own characteristics. The effectiveness of all therapeutic methods is approximately 70%.
Remedy for warts: external therapy
Treatment for warts is mainly aimed at their removal. It can be done through physical intervention or medication.
With external methods, warts are treated in a complex. The doctor may prescribe cauterizing drugs and keratolytic drugs. It can be 10% silver nitrate solution, 50% lactic acid solution.
Your doctor may recommend antiviral medications for warts.
Cytotoxic drugs, such as fluorouracil creams, are also current. Cribeds are prescribed for the treatment of warts and all types of plasters with salicylic acid (40%).
Physical destruction of warts can be achieved through liquid nitrogen and electrocoagulation. Chemical destruction of tissues can be performed using salicylic or trichloroacetic acid, sodium silver solution, sodium hydroxide.
Immunotherapy is also used. After removing the wart, your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication.
Removing warts at home is prohibited
Traditional medicine, according to most, can safely treat many diseases. But this opinion is wrong, because decoctions, infusions and all sorts of compresses from essential oils and herbs can only play an auxiliary role and in no case should they be used as the main type of therapy.
In combination with medicinal effects, the participating specialist may prescribe recipes for alternative medicines with celandine, rowan fruit, wormwood, onion, flaxseed oil, milk.
Removal of warts at home is not performed. Education cannot be expected with sharp, pierced and cauterized objects. Only a competent doctor, having diagnosed the patient's condition, can prescribe an appropriate and safe therapy. Be careful and do not treat yourself in a hurry.
Laser wart removal and other methods
Modern medicine uses some surgical techniques to remove warts.
- Electrocoagulation is one of the most proven methods for removing various warts.
The manipulation is performed under local anesthesia using a coagulator. The high frequency current supplied to the steel loop helps to thinly cut the epithelial mass and prevent bleeding during and after surgery.
- Surgical incision is prescribed for extensive skin lesions.
The manipulation is performed under local anesthesia, followed by the imposition of cosmetic sutures, which are removed after about 1 week. A small scar may remain.
- Laser removal of warts is the newest method of treatment.
The effect of such a manipulation can appear in the form of evaporation or clotting of skin cells. Laser removal of warts is quick and absolutely painless because the procedure is performed under local anesthesia. After removing the wart, a small depression may remain, which will disappear after 12-20 days.
Laser removal is now offered by many medical centers and clinics.
- Warts are also removed using low temperatures.
Deep freezing of tissues leads to their death. This is how cryodestruction of liquid nitrogen is performed.
Such removal of warts is performed using a cryo-applicator or an applicator stick with a cotton swab. In any case, the procedure is effective and lasts only a few minutes.
The applicator is applied to the wart (perpendicular) and pressed lightly on it. The time it takes for a epithelial tumor to freeze depends largely on its size. It usually takes 7 to 35 seconds to freeze.
Importers It is important to know that any removal of warts is not a guarantee that the problem will not recur. The likelihood of re-formation depends on a number of factors, including the patient's immune system. According to statistics, a recurrence of the disease occurs after 3-4 months in more than 20% of patients. This is why many doctors, along with surgical removal of warts, prescribe general anti-relapse therapy.
Prevention of warts
In order to protect yourself at least a little from a viral infection and reduce the risks of warts on the body, doctors advise first of all to lead a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to constantly maintain a competent immune system, which loses its protective functions due to constant nervous strain, lack of sleep, malnutrition and even lack of vitamins.
Doctors recommend:
- Reject casual sex. It is advisable to have a permanent and healthy partner.
- Observe the rules of personal hygiene. You should not use someone else's towel, go to a public bathroom without changing your shoes.
- Treat skin lesions properly.
It is also important to eat well, lead an active lifestyle, get rid of bad habits, get enough sleep, be less nervous, because all these factors negatively affect the immune system.