Diagnosis: Warts
FDA has learned that some over-the-counter wart removal products have caught fire during use. Learn how to use cryogenic (removal by freezing) wart removal products safely and other options for removi. Clinical photograph sourced from Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). Attribution: FDA graphic by Michael J. Ermarth.
Common warts: firm, rough, dome-shaped papules with black dots (thrombosed capillaries). Plantar warts: endophytic, painful with walking. Flat warts: smooth, flat-topped papules on face/hands. Genital warts: soft papillomatous growths.
Immunosuppression increases risk and recalcitrance. Children and young adults most commonly affected. Swimming pools and shared showers are common transmission sites. May spontaneously resolve (65% within 2 years in immunocompetent patients).
First-line: cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen, salicylic acid (OTC). Second-line: imiquimod, cantharidin, intralesional bleomycin, 5-FU. Recalcitrant: pulsed dye laser, immunotherapy (intralesional Candida antigen). HPV vaccination prevents genital and some cutaneous types.
Seborrheic keratosis, Squamous cell carcinoma, Molluscum contagiosum, Callus, Acrochordon
Paring down the surface before cryotherapy improves efficacy. The 'black dots' are thrombosed capillaries, not seeds. HPV vaccination (9-valent) prevents types 6, 11, 16, 18, and others. Always biopsy atypical or resistant warts to exclude SCC.
Tags: warts, verruca, HPV, viral, papilloma