TYPES OF WARTS | GENITAL WARTS | HOW THEY ARE REMOVED

• TYPES OF WARTS | GENITAL WARTS | HOW THEY ARE REMOVED
• TYPES OF WARTS PHOTOS
• GENITAL WARTS
• REMOVAL OF WARTS
• FOLK RECIPES FOR REMOVING WARTS

Warts are a type of papillomas, benign growths that develop due to infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV for short). The reasons are complex and often include both direct infection and any disturbances in the functioning of the body that create prerequisites and increase the likelihood of the appearance of warts .

The causes and risk factors should be evaluated in more detail by a doctor, based on data from a specific clinical case. The main culprit of the pathological condition, the formation of warts, is the human papilloma virus. We are not talking about one, but a whole group of agents. There are about 200 strains of the virus, some of them are oncogenic and cause condylomas . Others cause warts. One feature is characteristic of all strains – they affect the cells of the skin and mucous membranes, but do not spread to other tissues. The division (replication) of the virus begins immediately after it enters the body.
About 95% of the world’s population is infected with human papillomavirus. In some regions, this figure is slightly lower. The methods of transmission of the virus and therefore the warts are different.

• contact-household path , when the viral agent is transmitted through interaction with objects used by a sick person (towels, dishes, etc.);
• contact path during direct physical interaction with a sick person (without an intimate component);
• sexually , some warts grow in the anogenital area, this is the result of unprotected sexual contact, during which the virus is transmitted.

The question of the origin of the pathological process affects not only the transmission of the virus, but also the possibilities of its division and replication in the body of a new carrier. The infection occurs in the majority of the population. However, only 8-12% develop warts. This is due to differences in the functioning of the immune system and the body’s defenses. When the immune system is weakened, the probability of a pathological condition increases sharply. Risk factors also affect the likelihood of developing a pathological process.
Risk factors:

• weakened immune system;
• some systemic diseases ( diabetes mellitus, HIV);
• damage, peeling, cracking of the skin, microcracks;
• sharing common hygiene items with an infected person;
• constant contact with raw fish and meat (in industrial settings);
• sexual contact with an infected person.

TYPES OF WARTS PHOTOS

Medicine distinguishes several main types of warts, and the symptoms are different for each of them.
How are warts recognized:

• A round, solid papule of the correct color measuring 1-10 mm or more.
• The surface of the papule is covered with cracks and layers.
• If the papule is on the finger, the impression disappears and becomes distorted. The same goes for the palm pattern.
• Simple warts are located individually or in several parts – they usually appear in places with the greatest injury (hands, fingers, knees).
• When examined with a dermatoscope, the doctor can see small brown dots – thrombosed (clogged) capillaries. Patients often call these points “roots”. This is the main sign for the doctor: using it, the dermatologist can distinguish the wart from other similar diseases (for example, molluscum contagiosum and keratoma).

PLANETARY WARTS

• The main symptom for which the patient usually turns to the doctor is pain when pressing and walking.
• Such warts are usually located on the soles of the feet.
• When visiting a doctor, as a rule, a keratinized, uneven plaque with a normal color is visible, although at the first stage you can see an even, smooth papule. During keratinization, the thrombosed capillaries can only be seen if the keratinized layer of the skin is removed.
• The right side of the sole leather is warped.
• Plantar warts are usually single, but there are also 2-6;
• Often these warts are confused with calluses (especially dry ones) – this is exactly the description of the problem with which patients usually come for examination.

FLAT WARTS

• In appearance, it is a round, transparent, smooth papule with a normal, pink or brownish color, measuring 1-5 mm.
• It appears on the hands, feet and very often on the face.
• There are always several such warts – they are located in groups.

SENILE WARTS

• Large round multiple confluent neoplasms of normal, pink or brown color.
• They most often appear on the face, hands and front of the body.
• It can be confused with keratoma, lichen and skin cancer .

CIRCULAR WARTS

• Around the nail plate, thickenings with cracks resembling cauliflower appear on the surface of the skin.
• They are usually asymptomatic, but as they grow, they can crack and cause pain.
• They most often develop in people who have a habit of biting their nails or working with their hands in water.

Other types of warts

• ordinary warts or vulgar warts, this type prevails in the structure of morbidity, the disease occurs in almost 70% of cases (of the total number);
• filiform warts of acrochords, also known as acrochordons, are small stalk formations, soft in structure and consistency, localized almost everywhere, but more often on the face and in the area of ​​skin folds of the body;
• cystic types of warts localized on the legs are extremely rare;
• mosaic warts – localized on the legs, palms, are foci of hyperkeratosis, thickening of the skin, this condition is often confused with hyperkeratosis;
• butcher’s warts , caused by contact with meat and fish without sufficient means of protection, look like clumps of overgrown epithelial tissue like a cauliflower.

Sometimes genital warts are distinguished as an independent type, but this is a slightly different type – condylomas. Strictly speaking, they are not considered warts. These are papillomas of a different nature and are much more dangerous.
Warts are also classified by location

• lesions of the facial area;
• body lesions;
• neoplasms of the upper and lower extremities;
• damage to the anogenital area.

Warts on the face are represented by several subtypes. Warts appear on the eyelids, warts on the eye, warts on the forehead, ears, scalp, lips, etc. Such neoplasms are aesthetically unattractive and noticeable.
Warts on the hands and feet are represented by several other subspecies. The most common warts are on fingers, toes, etc.
Less common are warts on the body, warts on the back, as well as on the neck. Designing the intimate area deserves special attention. Warts on the genitals (warts on the penis, in the vaginal area), warts on the skin in the anus cause a lot of discomfort to the patient.
Sometimes the classification is done according to the shade of the wart:

• white warts are localized mainly on the patient’s feet and palms;
• dark warts are ordinary (vulgar) neoplasms, they must be distinguished from nevi and moles;
• pink warts are flat formations, although there are exceptions;
• yellow warts are rare and are mainly located on the legs, in the area of ​​the feet.

The consequences of viral infection are described and recorded for further evaluation of the clinical case.

GENITAL WARTS

A benign neoplasm localized in the intimate parts of a woman is called a genital wart. Growths can appear inside and outside the vagina, near the anus. Depending on the location, genital warts have a different texture and color: small, light-colored formations covered with a hard crust (pubic warts) and genital warts (on the mucous membrane).
The appearance of single and multiple warts and condylomas is possible. The incubation period of the disease depends on the body’s immune system and can last from several weeks to several years. The neoplasm itself is initially not oncogenic in nature, but under certain conditions a transition to oncology is possible (especially if the neoplasm is located in the uterus or cervix).
Genital warts are a disease that in most cases is transmitted sexually. It is possible to become infected through personal care products used by an infected person.
Factors that can activate the disease in women include:

• Weakening of the immune system.
• Pregnancy
• Hypothermia.
• Presence of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Diseases of the genitourinary system.
• Surgical interventions.

The main route of infection is through damage to the skin and mucous membranes in the intimate area. After the entry and penetration of the papilloma virus into the body during unprotected intercourse or non-observance of basic hygiene standards, an incubation period begins, during which there are no visible symptoms. With the development of the disease, itching and burning, the appearance of uncharacteristic discharge and barely noticeable warts on the labia may appear. The next stage is the appearance of growths and pain when walking and during intercourse. The wart may be injured, accompanied by bleeding. The most dangerous stage of the disease is the incubation period, because during this time the carrier of the infection (without knowing about the disease) can infect his partner.
Today, there are no drugs that can completely cure the papilloma virus and, as a result, the appearance of genital warts and papillomas. It is only possible to get rid of the symptoms of the disease, i.e. removal and treatment of existing visible tumors. Two methods are used: cauterization and excision. These procedures, depending on the diagnosis and location, are performed in the following ways:

• Surgical removal under anesthesia (used for small warts and easily accessible places).
• Laser removal. Less traumatic and painless procedure (used in difficult places – uterus, cervix).
• Cryotherapy . Wart removal with liquid nitrogen (used for removal around the anus and vagina).
• Diathermocoagulation . It is performed with a Surgitron apparatus with a high frequency current.
• Electrosurgical method . Cauterization of tumors. It is performed under anesthesia.
• Chemical method . Cauterization of warts with trichloroacetic acid.

In parallel with these procedures, drug treatment aimed at maintaining immunity (Laferon or Cycloferon) and antiviral drugs (cytotoxic) are prescribed. Treatment with ointments and gels is also an option, but in this case the treatment process is longer and the therapy must be prescribed by a doctor. Independent physical removal of warts is strictly prohibited. Out-of-clinic removal can lead to significant problems, including trauma to nearby tissue, contamination, and infection. The main danger is that it is impossible to determine the presence of oncogenic strains in the wart.

REMOVAL OF WARTS

Patients with warts often turn to the doctor to remove an aesthetic defect. Some types of warts cause pain when walking or crack, in which case it is better to remove them. There are several ways to treat warts. All of them are usually performed under the supervision of a doctor, and some of them are performed only in the clinic’s office.

Patches for warts

To remove warts, applications of milk-salicylic collodion and salicylic plasters are used. The percentage of drugs and the method of their use (long-term wearing of patches, applications, etc.) depend on the spread and localization of the tumor. Solutions of zinc and 2-chloropropionic acid can also be used. In this case, a chemical composition is applied to the previously treated surface, which is left on the wart until it changes color (depending on the type of wart). The procedure is repeated several times after 7, 14 and 21 days. Before each procedure, the tissue is mechanically removed. Another chemical method is a combination of nitric, acetic, oxalic, lactic acids and copper nitrate trihydrate. In this way, only relatively small tumors – up to 5 mm – are treated. The solution is also left until the wart changes color. After 3-5 days, the patient comes for a control examination, if necessary, he is prescribed a repeat procedure after 1-4 weeks

Cryodestruction

This method involves freezing the wart using liquid nitrogen: a moistened pad is pressed against the damaged skin (covering a few mm of the surrounding tissue) for 1-5 minutes. Destruction of some tumors requires several procedures with an interval of four weeks. The main disadvantages of cryodestruction are the pain and the delayed effect compared to other methods, where only one removal procedure is often enough.

Electrocoagulation

Under the influence of electric current, the wart is removed in layers. This operation is performed under local anesthesia. This method is more effective than cryodestruction, but has a significant drawback: electrocoagulation often leaves scars at the site of wart removal. For those patients who come to remove a cosmetic defect, this method will not be the most suitable.

Laser wart removal

Warts are also removed in layers using a laser. The light guide comes into contact with the skin from a few seconds to three minutes, depending on the size. The wart is then excised and the bottom of the wound is again treated with a laser. The patient is then instructed on how to treat the wound. The operation itself is performed under local anesthesia.

Radio wave surgery

Radiowave surgery is one of the most modern and gentle methods for removing some benign tumors, including warts. Surgitron (USA), PBX oscillator (Russia), Vesalius (Italy) and others are used for this treatment.
The method is based on the generation of electromagnetic waves with different frequencies: from 100 kHz to 105 MHz. As the wave passes through the tissue the cells are actually vaporized, creating a clean cut. In this case, no mechanical forces are applied to the affected tissue.
The advantages of this method:

• safety;
• rapid wound healing;
• good cosmetic effect – scars and scars are excluded;
• relative painlessness – local anesthesia is used before the mini-surgery;
• exclusion of secondary infection due to automatic disinfection of the electrode when the device is turned on.

The effectiveness of this method is recognized all over the world, but it is quite difficult to find a clinic that uses the radio wave surgery method.

Cure for warts

There are still no antiviral drugs to treat the papilloma virus, so it is impossible to get rid of warts with the help of pills. They can only be removed by chemical and physical methods.

Which treatment method to choose

All the above methods have several disadvantages:

• During the first few weeks, the operated area has an unattractive appearance – crusts, darkening of the tissues. This should be considered if the warts are on visible parts of the body (for example, on the face).
• Unpleasant smell and some degree of pain during surgery.

In addition, each of these methods has contraindications, which you should learn about during a preliminary consultation with a dermatologist. But the main disadvantage is  the high probability of recurrence  , especially if the warts are widespread and extensive. With each of these methods, doctors fight not with the main cause of the disease, but with its consequences, since today  the human papillomavirus cannot be cured  .
Therapy is aimed at:

• or to destroy tumors that arise at the site of introduction of the virus;
• or to stimulate an antiviral immune response;
• or a combination of these approaches.

Destructive methods of treatment are most often used. Their effectiveness reaches 50-80%. For surgical methods of treatment, childhood is usually not a contraindication. Therefore, many of these methods (including radio wave surgery) are also used to treat warts in children. An exception is the chemical removal of warts due to the possibility of adverse reactions to the substance.

FOLK RECIPES FOR REMOVING WARTS

Before starting a home treatment for warts, it is a good idea to visit a doctor to find out exactly what kind of warts they are. We bring to your attention traditional methods of treating warts in children and adults.

➤ TREATMENT OF WARTS WITH ALOE
Prepare a soda solution: 1 teaspoon of soda per glass of warm water. The resulting solution should be applied to the wart or warts for 10 minutes.
Then we cut the aloe leaf and apply a fresh leaf on the wart.
The compress should be kept for several hours or even better left overnight. While you rest, the compress will “work” to help heal the warts.
The course of treatment with aloe consists of 8-10 procedures. One compress per day.
➤TREATING WARTS WITH VINEGAR
Acetic acid has been successfully used to treat warts. You should apply one drop of acid on the wart. It is recommended to perform the procedure in the evening, before going to bed. You have to be very careful not to burn your skin with acetic acid. To avoid this, you need to take a strip of plaster and cut a hole in the middle for the wart.
Then we cover the place where the wart is located with a plaster, stick it so that it is visible through the hole. Then you can apply acetic acid for treatment, the skin will not be damaged. To enhance the healing effect, you can add some wheat flour to acetic acid and make a small mushy ball. Apply the freshly prepared mushy balls on the wart every day until it dries completely and falls off. After treatment with acetic acid, small scars may remain on the skin.
➤ APPLE VINEGAR WITH GARLIC
Take 3 cloves of garlic and chop them. Cover the garlic with half a cup of apple cider vinegar . Leave the garlic tincture in a dark place in a closed container for two weeks. We use the finished tincture, making compresses on the warts twice a day. We carry out treatment until their complete disappearance.
➤TREATMENT OF WARTS WITH CASTOR OIL
Castor oil is known for its many healing properties. It has a very positive effect on the skin and subcutaneous tissues. That is why traditional healers use castor oil in the treatment of warts, and this method gives a very good effect. The acid that the oil contains has an irritating effect on the warts, which leads to very good, positive treatment results. For treatment, you should rub the oil into the warts for 10 – 15 minutes so that they are completely saturated with oil. The procedure should be carried out in the morning and in the evening until complete healing.
➤REMOVAL OF WARTS WITH POTATO
For treatment you need to take one raw potato, wash it well and grate it. You need to grate the top layer: the bark and a small layer under the bark. You need to make a compress from the resulting potato mash: apply the mash to the wart, covering a layer of polyethylene on top. You need to keep the compress for several hours. Do the procedure every day at night for three to four weeks.
➤REMOVAL OF WARTS WITH SILK THREAD
This is a fairly simple and very effective method. The duration of treatment should not exceed 10 days, but this time is usually enough to remove warts of medium size. You can use only silk or cotton threads.

1. Complete tying of the wart at the base for a week, after which the wart begins to dry and fall off.
2. If you first soak it in a vinegar solution and then tie it around the growth, you can speed up the process of cell destruction and affect the virus.
3. Tightly tying the wart with thread, followed by treatment with tar or laundry soap (preferred by 72% of products). Lubricate the affected area and surrounding tissue daily for a week.

If the wart does not disappear after 10 days, you should stop the treatment and consult a doctor.
➤REMOVAL OF WARTS WITH GARLIC AND ONION
Onions and garlic contain many beneficial substances, including anti-inflammatory components. They quickly deal with skin growths and are an excellent preventive measure for the formation of new ones. Recipes for preparing medicinal substances are simple:

• Peel a clove of garlic or a fleshy leaf (one of the layers) of an onion from a thin layer and apply to the wart. Repeat every day for 2-3 hours or until pain appears (the duration of the course is until the formation dies).
• Grind the onion or garlic to a pulp and mix with melted lard and vinegar in a ratio of 1:1:4. Apply to the affected area before going to bed until cured, store in a ceramic container. In the morning, wash off the ointment with water.
• Pour one clove of young garlic with vinegar essence and leave for three days. Applying the incision to the growth overnight until the skin is completely healed is a great way to get rid of plantar warts.

We must remember that these plants can have an aggressive effect on the skin, so you should avoid contact with healthy areas or lubricate the area around the growth with a rich cream and then apply onion or garlic for treatment.
➤IODINE AGAINST WARTS
This drug effectively deals not only with the tumors themselves, but also kills the virus that causes the disease. The iodine solution should be used at least twice a day, up to five times to remove large warts. You can smear not only the affected area of ​​​​the skin, but also apply a little to the healthy one.
This method has a number of contraindications:

• Children’s age up to 5 years.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Allergy to the drug.
• Hormonal diseases.
• Sores and local skin reactions near the wart.

Some people may experience discomfort or pain during treatment. If this happens, you can try other methods of traditional medicine.
➤SALICYLIC ACID TO REMOVE WARTS
It is recommended to use a 5 or 10% solution of salicylic acid, which should be applied to the wart once a day before rest (day or night sleep). In the morning or after waking up, you need to wash off the solution. The solution should not come into contact with healthy skin, as this will cause burns or pain. The duration of treatment should not exceed 10 days.
There is another way to use salicylic acid – salicylic ointment. This is a gentler remedy that can be used for up to two months in a row, simultaneously getting rid of several warts of any size at once. The ointment is used on the visible parts of the body: face, neck, hands, cleavage.
There is also a patch with salicylic acid on sale. It is convenient to use in plantar neoplasms. You need to cut a piece of the patch the size of the growth so that the healthy skin does not go under it. You can continue this treatment for 10-14 days in a row. You can change the patch once a day, checking for any skin reaction (redness, itching, local temperature). If signs of inflammation appear, you should immediately stop treatment and consult a doctor.
➤FIG MILK FOR WARTS
Fig milk is one of the ancient ways to treat warts. The technology is simple. Simply squeeze the milk of an unripe fig on the wart. Be careful not to touch the surrounding skin to avoid burning. It is best to smear the area around the wart with cream.