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Plantar Warts


 

Foot Warts and Plantar Warts

Foot warts are usually harmless, but they can be painful. Foot warts often are mistaken for corns or calluses.  A wart is different from a corn or callus, however. Corns and calluses are caused by some sort of irritation. They are basically just places where the skin builds up to protect an irritated area. A wart is caused by a viral infection. The infection invades the skin through cuts and abrasions. The cuts and abrasions can be so small as to be almost invisible.

Warts usually raised and fleshy in appearance. A wart can occur anywhere on the foot or toes. On occasion, a wart can spontaneously disappear after a short time. However, they frequently recur in the same location. Left untreated, warts can grow to an inch or more in circumference. It is also possible for a wart to spread into clusters of warts. Adults are less likely to contract warts than children. Children and teenagers are the most common wart sufferers.

Plantar warts, also known as verrucas, occur on the soles of the feet. Plantar warts are one of several soft tissue conditions which can be very painful. Unlike other foot warts, plantar warts tend to be hard and flat. Plantar warts typically are made up of a rough surface and have obvious boundaries. Plantar warts usually gray or brown in color, but not always. The color can vary. They often have a center that appears as one or more pinpoints of black. You can contract a wart by walking without shoes or socks on unclean surfaces. The virus that causes plantar warts to form flourishes in warm, moist areas, which is why warts are so often picked up in public pools and locker rooms.

Like other infectious lesions, plantar warts can be spread by touching, scratching, or even by coming in contact with skin shed from another wart. The wart may also bleed, which can spread the virus as well. Plantar warts that occur on weight-bearing areas of the foot, like the ball of the foot or the heel, can be painful.  It is usually a sharp, burning pain. Pain occurs when you bear weight on the wart, but pressure put on the sides of a wart can create a pain that is equally intense.

To help prevent spreading the virus and, therefore, warts:

  • Try not to come into direct contact with warts. This means another person’s wart or even by touching a wart on your own body to another part of your body.
  • Try not to walk barefoot, unless it is on a beach.
  • Change your shoes and socks often.
  • Inspect your child’s feet frequently for signs of warts.
  •  Always maintain clean, dry feet.

Warts can be very resistant to treatment and have a tendency to come back even after treatment. Over-the-counter wart treatments are often not effective and can actually destroy healthy tissue around the wart. Please contact our office for help in effectively treating warts. At Neuhaus Foot and Ankle, we can recommend the most appropriate treatment for your case. The treatment may be a  prescription ointment or other medication or, in the worst cases, laser cautery.

What is a Plantar Wart?

What is a Plantar Wart?

A wart is a small growth on the skin that develops when the skin is infected by a virus. Warts can develop anywhere on the foot, but typically they appear on the bottom (plantar side) of the foot. Plantar warts most commonly occur in children, adolescents, and the elderly.

There are two types of plantar warts:

  1. A solitary wart is a single wart. It often increases in size and may eventually multiply, forming additional “satellite” warts.
  2. Mosaic warts are a cluster of several small warts growing closely together in one area. Mosaic warts are more difficult to treat than solitary warts.

What are the Signs and Symptoms?

Plantar warts grow deep into the skin. Usually this growth occurs slowly; the wart starts off small and gets larger over time.The signs and symptoms of a plantar wart may include:

  • Thickened skin. Often a plantar wart resembles a callus because of its tough, thick tissue.
  • Pain. A plantar wart usually hurts during walking and standing, and there is pain when the sides of the wart are squeezed.
  • Tiny black dots. These often appear on the surface of the wart. The dots are actually dried blood contained in the infected capillaries (tiny blood vessels).

What Causes a Plantar Wart?

Plantar warts are caused by direct contact with the human papilloma virus (HPV). This is the same virus that causes warts on other areas of the body. Typically, the plantar wart virus is acquired in public places where people go barefoot, such as locker rooms, swimming pools, and karate classes. It can also be acquired at home if other family members have the virus.

How is a Plantar Wart Diagnosed?

To diagnose a plantar wart, your podiatrist will examine the patient’s foot and look for signs and symptoms of a wart. Although plantar warts may eventually clear up on their own, most patients desire faster relief. The goal of treatment is to completely remove the wart.

What is the Treatment for a Plantar Wart?

Your podiatrist may use topical or oral treatments, laser therapy, cryotherapy (freezing), or surgery to remove the wart. Regardless of the treatment approaches undertaken, it is important that the patient follow your podiatrist’s instructions, including all home care and medication that has been prescribed, as well as follow-up visits with your podiatrist. Warts may return, requiring further treatment.

If there is no response to treatment, further diagnostic evaluation may be necessary. In such cases, your podiatrist can perform a biopsy to rule out other potential causes for the growth. Although there are many folk remedies for warts, patients should be aware that these remain unproven and may be dangerous. Patients should never try to remove a wart themselves; this can do more harm than good.

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