Skin growth caused by viral infection.
The infection can be caused by direct contact or contact with the blood of its carriers. It is more likely to occur when the infected person's immune system is weakened.
They can be flat or raised and have a hard consistency. The surrounding skin may sometimes be lighter or darker than the rest of the skin. They may appear alone or in groups (the size of a pinhead) on the forehead, cheeks, arms and/or legs. If they appear on the soles, they are usually round, rough and painful to touch. They can be flat and textured if they grow under the nails on the hands and feet.
They are skin lesions that do not seem serious to the patient.
They often disappear spontaneously in children, but tend to persist in adults.
If they cause discomfort or multiply, it is advisable to see a dermatologist to have them removed.
- 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.
