Warts
(Common Warts)
Medical Author: Alan Rockoff, MD
Medical Editors: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR and Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
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Warts—A Common Infectious Disease
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: Barbara K. Hecht, PhD
 The warts commonly seen on the skin are caused by a viral infection. The
culprit is one of the HPVs (human papillomaviruses) that can be spread from
person to person or be acquired through contact with a contaminated surface.
Over 100 types of HPVs have been identified that infect
skin or mucous membranes, depending on the virus type. HPV types that infect
skin lead to the development of common skin
warts.
HPVs have gained widespread attention for their proven
role in the development of genital and anal cancers, particularly cancer of the cervix. Specific
"high risk" types of HPV that infect the mucosal tissue that
lines the genital area are responsible for these carcinogenic (cancer-causing)
effects. "High risk" HPVs have also been implicated in the development of a
subset of head and neck cancers that develop in the area of the tonsils.
There are also "low risk" HPV types that lead to the development of benign lesions in the genital area,
such as genital warts.
Some of these HPV types
infect skin and cause warts in various locations on the body. Other HPV types
cause benign growths, or papillomas, on the vocal cords.
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What are common warts?
Common warts are local growths in the skin that are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Although they are considered to be contagious, it is very common for just one family member to have them. In addition, they often affect just one part of the body (such as the hands or the feet) without spreading over time to other areas.
What are some types of common warts?
- There is the familiar type of dome-shaped warts on the backs of fingers,
toes, and knees.
- Plantar warts are found on the bottom of the foot. (The "plantar" part of the foot. These are not "Planter's warts.")
- Flat ("plane") warts may arise on the face, legs, and other parts of the body, often in large numbers.
- Periungual warts are warts around or under the nail.
- Filiform warts typically
appear as a single long stalk, often on the face.
What is the treatment for common warts?
Common warts can be annoying to anyone. This information is about the treatment of common warts. It does not apply to genital or venereal warts.
Over-the-counter treatment for common skin warts has long been based upon the use of products containing salicylic acid. Newer nonprescription wart treatments use aerosols to freeze warts.
Salicylic-acid preparations
These are available as drops, gels, pads, and plasters. They are designed for
application to all kinds of warts, from tiny ones to great, big lumpy ones.
Salicylic acid is a keratolytic medication, which means it dissolves the protein
(keratin), which makes up most of both the wart and the thick layer of dead skin
that often tops it.
Nonprescription freezing methods
Aerosol wart treatments available over-the-counter use sprays that freeze warts
at a temperature of minus 70 F (minus 57 C). This compares with the liquid nitrogen used by most dermatologists, which is considerably colder (minus 320
F or minus 196 C).
Duct tape
It is claimed that warts can be "suffocated" by covering them with duct tape or
other nonbreathing tape, such as electrical tape. This treatment is hard to
use, however, because in order to work, the tape must be left in place all the
time and removed only a few hours once per week. Almost always, the tape falls
off.
Next: Is using over-the-counter wart treatments safe? »
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