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What is
Plantar Warts?
Verrucę pedis, "plantar warts", can often be
differentiated from
helomata, "corns", by close
observation of skin
striations. Feet, like hands, are
covered in skin strię which are more
commonly called
fingerprints. Where verrucę pedis
are present, the skin strię can be observed
as going around the lesion; where the lesion
is not verrucę pedis, the cell
DNA are not altered and the
striations continue across the top layer of
the skin. Furthermore, VPs tend to be
painful on application of pressure from
either side of the lesion rather than direct
pressure. Helomata tend to be the opposite
and are painful on direct pressure rather
than pressure from either side.
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Effects
of Plantar Warts
Plantar warts should be treated because they
are contagious and rarely a plantar wart
left untreated for years can become
cancerous.
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Candidates
for Plantar Warts
These ugly bumps are more likely to appear
on the feet of people with: Multiple
exposures to the virus, damaged or cut skin
and weakened immune systems.
For reasons doctors don't understand, some
people are more susceptible to the
wart-causing virus, just as some people are
more likely to catch a cold. Children and
teenagers tend to be especially vulnerable
to warts.
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Your
Consultation
Most plantar warts aren't a serious health
concern, but they may be bothersome or
painful, and they can be resistant to
treatment. You may need to see your doctor
to remove them.
See your doctor if your warts are painful or
change in appearance or color. Also see your
doctor if warts persist, multiply or recur,
despite home treatment, or if warts
interfere with your activities. If you have
diabetes or a circulatory disorder, don't
try to treat any plantar warts at home. See
your doctor for advice.
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The Plantar Warts
Procedure
Plantar warts
can be stubborn. Because of their location
aggressive use of liquid nitrogen
cryotherapy is difficult in that it can not
only be painful but swelling and soreness
can prevent walking for a number of days.
Often paring the warts by thinning them down
can be helpful. The use of salicylic acid
preparations that are applied daily and
cover the affected area will eat away at the
surface of the wart allowing it to be pared
down. This may make it more responsive to
liquid nitrogen. The use of duct tape to
soften the lesions in some individuals can
be in itself curative. It appears that
changing the water content and making the
skin mushy enhances the patient’s ability to
eradicate these warts. Treatments such as
surgery and scraping of these warts are
discouraged as scars can sometimes be
painful on the weight-bearing parts of the
foot. The pulse dye laser can be used once
the wart has been thinned as it does not
produce scarring. Occlusion combining these
therapies with Aldara cream in some
individuals is helpful.
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Recovery
There are a variety of ways to treat warts.
The over-the-counter medications have a
difficult time penetrating the thick skin on
the bottom of the foot, so they do not work
well in this area. Professional treatment
consists of burning the wart with topical
acids, freezing with liquid nitrogen, laser
surgery or cutting them out. All methods
have the possibility of the wart coming
back. Surgical excision of the wart has the
highest success rate with a relatively low
rate of recurrence. There is some mild
discomfort with this procedure and it takes
several weeks for the area to completely
heal. Normal activity can generally be
resumed in a few days depending on the size
and number of warts that have been removed.
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Risks
Warts may spread, develop into clusters or
fuse to become a
mosaic wart. Plantar warts can be
painful making it difficult to walk and run.
Over-aggressive treatment may lead to
scarring. Others may be infected. If a wart
is being treated professionally and does not
seem to improve in a reasonable period of
time, the growth should be excised and
biopsied.
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Q: What are plantar warts?
A:
Plantar warts are non-cancerous skin growths
on the soles of your feet caused by the
human papillomavirus (HPV), which enters
your body through tiny cuts and breaks in
your skin. Plantar warts often develop
beneath pressure points in your feet, such
as the heels or balls of your feet.
Q: Is there a difference between plantar
warts and other warts located elsewhere on
the body?
A:
The difference between plantar warts and
warts located elsewhere on the body is the
fact that warts are generally outgrowth type
lesions, but on the bottom of the foot they
are pushed inward due to the pressure of
walking, plus the fact that the skin on the
bottom of the foot tends to be thicker than
skin elsewhere, making the treatment of
plantar warts more difficult
Q: How can I reduce risk of plantar warts?
A:
Do the following to avoid getting plantar
warts:
·
Avoid walking barefoot in public areas such
as showers, communal changing rooms.
·
Change shoes and socks daily.
·
Avoid sharing shoes and socks.
·
Avoid direct contact with warts on other
parts of body.
·
Avoid direct contact with warts on other
persons.
Q: What are the signs and symptoms of
plantar warts?
A:
Plantar warts are
often mistaken for corns or calluses. To
make the distinction, look for:
·
Small, fleshy, grainy bumps on the soles of
your feet.
·
Hard, flat growths with a rough surface and
well-defined boundaries.
Gray or brown
lumps with one or more black pinpoints,
which are actually small, clotted blood
vessels, not "wart seeds".
Bumps that interrupt the normal lines and
ridges in the skin of your feet.
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