WARTS (Verruca Vulgaris) |
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General Information
DEFINITION--Benign tumors caused by a virus in the outer skin layer. Warts are not cancerous. They are contagious from person to person and from one area to another on the same person. They appear most often on the fingers, hands and arms. They are common in athletes who share locker facilities and have close personal contact with each other.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMSA small, raised bump on the skin with the following characteristics:
Warts begin very small (1mm to 3mm) and grow larger.
Warts have a rough surface and clearly defined borders.
They are usually the same color as the skin, but sometimes darker.
Warts often appear in clusters around a "mother wart."
If you cut into the wart surface, it contains small black dots or bleeding points.
Warts are painless and don't itch.
CAUSES & RISK FACTORSInvasion of the outer skin layer (epidermis) by the papilloma virus. The virus stimulates some cells to grow more rapidly than normal. Warts are very common. By adulthood, 90% of all people have antibodies to the virus, indicating a history of at least one wart infection.
HOW TO PREVENTTo keep from spreading warts, don't scratch them. Warts spread readily to small cuts and scratches.
WHAT TO EXPECT
DIAGNOSTIC MEASURES
Your own observation of symptoms.
Medical history and physical exam by a doctor.
SURGERYNormal surgery with hospitalization and anesthetics is not necessary. Electrosurgery or cryotherapy is sometimes used (see Medical Treatment below).
NORMAL COURSE OF ILLNESS20% of warts disappear spontaneously in 1 month. Without treatment, the remainder may persist for many months up to 2 or 3 years.
POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS
Spread to other body parts.
Secondary infection of a wart.
HOW TO TREAT
NOTE -- Follow your doctor's instructions. These instructions are supplemental.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
Cryotherapy (freezing cells to destroy them). This is an office procedure that doesn't require anesthesia or cause bleeding. Freezing stings or hurts slightly during application, and pain may increase a bit after thawing. 3 to 5 weekly treatments may be necessary to destroy the wart.
Electrosurgery (using heat to destroy cells). This treatment can usually be completed in one office visit, but healing takes longer, and secondary bacterial infections and scarring are more common.
HOME TREATMENT
If you have electrosurgery, keep the treatment site clean with soap and water. Cover with an adhesive bandage, if you wish.
If you have cryotherapy, a blister (sometimes with blood) will develop at the treatment site. The roof of the blister will come off without further treatment in 10 to 14 days. You should have little or no scarring. Wash and use make-up or cosmetics as usual. If clothing irritates the blister, cover with a small adhesive bandage.
MEDICATIONYour doctor may prescribe chemicals, such as mild salicylic acid, Retin-A Gel or Cream, 1% fluorouracil, or Duofilm (a one-time overnight treatment using a mixture of collodion and lactic acid) to destroy warts.
ACTIVITYNo restrictions.
DIETNo special diet.
CALL YOUR DOCTOR IF
You have warts and you want them removed.
After removal by cryosurgery or electrocautery, signs of infection (fever, swelling, redness, pain or pus) appear at the treatment site.
Warts don't disappear completely after treatment.
Other warts appear after treatment.
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