It is a skin growth caused by a viral infection.
The contagion can be by direct contact or by contact with the blood of carriers, being favored when the immune system of the infected person is weakened.
They can be flat or raised and of hard consistency. Sometimes the surrounding skin may be lighter or darker than the rest. They may be single or appear in clusters (the size of a pinhead) on the forehead, cheeks, arms and/or legs. If they appear on the soles of the feet they are usually rounded, rough and painful when pressed. They may be flat and rough if they grow under the fingernails or toenails.
They are skin lesions that are not serious for the sufferer.
In children, they usually disappear spontaneously and in adults, they tend to remain.
If they cause discomfort or multiply, it is advisable to see a dermatologist to eliminate them.
- Beth G Goldstein, MD, Adam O Goldstein, MD, MPH, Rachael Morris-Jones, FRCP, PhD, PCME. Cutaneous warts. UpToDate. Nov 10, 2015.
- Aaron C. Ermel, Darron R. Brown. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Volumen 2. 19ª Edición. 1197:1200.
- Thomas J. Lawley, Kim B. Yancey. Valoración del paciente con trastornos cutáneos. Verrugas. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Volumen 1. 19ª Edición. 351.
- Kilkenny M, Marks R. The descriptive epidemiology of warts in the community. Australas J Dermatol 1996; 37:80.
- Kwok CS, Gibbs S, Bennett C, et al. Topical treatments for cutaneous warts. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012; :CD001781.
