Plantar warts are a growth on the skin of a viral nature, it is also called a corn. From medical terminology it is clear that such formations are located on the sole of the foot and the toes. From the point of view of oncological risk, they are not dangerous, but they cause a lot of inconvenience when walking due to their painful compression.
Causes of plantar warts
All types of warts, including plant warts, are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). You can get it through close contact with infected people or through everyday life. The virus dies quickly from sunlight, but it feels great in high humidity. Therefore, HPV infection most often occurs in baths, saunas, swimming pools. Virus penetration into the body is facilitated by microtrauma and cracking of the skin as well as reduced immunity.
With strong protective properties in the body, the virus can remain in a dormant state indefinitely after infection. However, if the immunity is reduced, it begins to multiply actively, causing the appearance of warts of different localization on the skin. For their occurrence, on the one hand, 1, 2, 4, 27 and 57 subtypes of HPV are most often responsible.
Several available factors contribute to the appearance of such formations:
- shoes that are too tight or too large;
- frequent use of high heels;
- various foot deformities (including flat feet);
- various diseases of the foot joints (arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc. ).
Warts on the leg are more common in people with excessive dry skin and hyperkeratosis.
Thus, the causes of plantar warts are the same in all cases (HPV infection), but the available factors are different. The number and size of the elements on the skin depend on them and the state of immunity.How to display plantar warts
A wart on the foot resembles a rounded skin growth. It can be in different sizes, but rarely exceeds two inches in diameter. It rises above the level of the skin by a maximum of three millimeters, but at the same time goes deep inside its root. The color may not differ from the surrounding skin or be darker or lighter. Often such formations have a yellow or gray hue. Visually, you can see black dots or lines when you see them inside the elements (they are also clearly visible in the image). This is how the capillaries look like blood clots have formed due to compression of horny vessels with masses.
First, the plantar root has a smooth surface. But over time, it becomes hard, rough, thickened. It is the horny masses that give these warts their yellow color.
An important symptom of plantar warts is pain when compressed. Each step inflicts severe acute pain on the patient.
These warts are very similar to plantar calluses. The resemblance to a cornice is especially pronounced because of the severe pain in both formations. The main difference is that there is no skin pattern on the surface of the warts while it remains on the callus.
Diagnosis of plantar warts
A competent dermatologist will diagnose this disease on the basis of a clinical picture only. In some cases, an additional dermatoscopy is needed. The absence of a skin pattern on the formation and the presence of capillaries with blood clots in its structure confirms this diagnosis.
Plantar wart treatment
Plantar warts are more difficult to get rid of than similar formations in other areas due to their deeper penetration into the dermis. In the case of small and newly formed elements, necrotizing external preparations can be used. Large and deep warts are surgically removed. At the same time, old formations should first be softened with keratolytic agents.
External warts for removing warts
In some cases, self-destruction of such formations is possible. But as the plant wart does quite hard, patients do not want to wait and strive to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Any remedy for plantar warts with necrotizing effect is prescribed to remove small and superficial elements.
These products contain acids that coagulate skin proteins and cause necrosis. The medicines containing refrigerant have a similar effect. However, they cause necrotizing effects through tissue freezing, not through chemical damage.
All of these drugs are applied point by point to the formation. It is necessary to carefully monitor that the substance does not fall on the surrounding tissues as this will cause them to burn. After treatment, a wound remains at the site of the previous wart, which will be covered with a crust. After healing, it falls off on its own. You can perform such a treatment at home, but only as directed by a doctor.
In this way it is only possible to remove a plantar wart of small size and with a low penetration into the skin. For large items, choose other methods of removal, as incomplete destruction of the wart tissue will certainly lead to its recurrence.
Surgical methods for removing plant warts
There are different ways to remove a plantar wart during surgery. Gentle methods are preferred:
- laser removal;
- radio wave knife;
- cryodestruction;
- electrocautery.
All of these procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. Patients can travel home literally a few minutes after their completion, they just need to treat the wound regularly at home.
The most effective and safest method of removing plantar warts is excision with a laser or radio wave knife. When performed, the vessels coagulate immediately, which is a good prevention of bleeding and secondary infection. Complications when skin formations are removed using these methods are extremely rare. The same can not be said about cryodestruction and electrocoagulation, so these treatment methods have faded into the background and are rarely used.
If the warts are large or old (covered with a large amount of horny masses), it is recommended to treat them with keratolytic substances for two weeks before the removal procedure. For this purpose, salicylic acid ointment or acid and other drugs are prescribed. It is thus possible to exfoliate some of the horny scales to make the formations softer and more pliable. This will make it easier and faster to remove the wart.
In rare cases, when there are many elements or if there is doubt about their nature, the doctor can advise on surgical excision with a scalpel. With this method of removing warts, the rehabilitation period and the high risk of scarring is much longer, therefore it is used only under severe indications.
Functions of plantar warts in children
In children over the age of five, plantar warts are quite common, as they often run barefoot, get injured and do not always follow the rules of personal hygiene. Immunity failure due to regular contact with sick children (in kindergartens and schools), leading to an increased likelihood of warts.
Treatment of such formations in a child is best started with external means. You can try exfoliating shallow elements using salicylic acid, followed by pumice. Immunomodulatory drugs have proven successful. When applied regularly to a wart, they can remove it in a few weeks.
If the elements are deep, use necrotizing agents or remove them with a laser or radio wave knife.
Prevention of plantar warts
It is absolutely impossible to protect yourself from the appearance of warts, but you can reduce the risk of them occurring. To do this, act in two directions: eliminate predisposing factors and stimulate the body's defenses.
To reach the first goal, you must:
- follow the rules of personal hygiene (do not walk barefoot in public places, wash your feet daily and treat cuts and injuries in a timely manner);
- choose comfortable shoes by size;
- in time to prevent deformities in the foot and treat diseases of the joints.
A healthy lifestyle, sports, hardening, intake of vitamin complexes and immunostimulatory drugs as prescribed by a doctor will help maintain the body's defenses at a good level.
In case of excessive dry skin and hyperkeratosis, it is recommended to have regular medical pedicures and peels. In case of excessive sweating in the legs, use special means to treat hyperhidrosis. By following all these rules, the risk of developing warts on the soles of the feet is minimal.
Plantar warts are not a dangerous disease, but they cause a lot of inconvenience due to pain when walking. Fortunately, there are many ways in modern medicine to get rid of it quickly and with minimal risk of new relapses. To do this, consult a dermatologist and carefully follow all his appointments and recommendations.