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Warts – Signs and Symptoms of Warts

Article Summary: Warts are tumours or growths of the skin caused by infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV). More than 70 HPV subtypes are known.Warts are particularly common in childhood and are spread by direct contact or autoinocculation. This means if a wart is scratched, the viral particles may be spread to another area of skin. It may take as long as twelve months for the wart to first appear.

Warts are tumours or growths of the skin caused by infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV). More than 70 HPV subtypes are known.Warts are particularly common in childhood and are spread by direct contact or autoinocculation. This means if a wart is scratched, the viral particles may be spread to another area of skin. It may take as long as twelve months for the wart to first appear.

Warts are small, skin-coloured, rough lumps on the skin. They often appear on the hands and feet and look different depending on where they are on the body and how thick the skin is. A wart on the sole of the foot is called a verruca. Genital warts are warts found on the genitals and around the rectum.The typical wart is a raised round or oval growth on the skin with a rough surface. Compared with the surrounding normal skin, warts may appear light, dark, or black (rare). Most adults are familiar with the look of a typical wart and have little trouble recognizing them. Unusual warts with smooth surfaces or flat warts in children may be more difficult for parents to recognize.

Signs and Symptoms of Warts

Warts may occur singly or in multiples. They may bleed if picked or cut and often contain one or more tiny black dots, which are sometimes called wart "seeds" but are actually small, clotted blood vessels. Common warts are usually painless. Young adults and children appear to be affected most often.

Warts are often said to look like little cauliflower florets. They are usually white or flesh-colored, may either lay flat or be raised, appear by themselves or in clusters, and can be found in or around the vagina or anus or on the vulva or penis. Generally, the warts themselves are not painful but they can interfere with normal bodily functions, such as urinating and bowel movements, making these actions painful and uncomfortable.

Symptoms include a small, raised bump on the skin. They begin as small (1mm to 3mm) lumps and progressively grow larger. Warts have a rough surface and clearly defined borders and appear to have the same color as the skin. Sometimes, however, their color may become darker. Warts often appear in clusters around a mother wart. If you cut into the wart surface, you will see small black dots or bleeding points. In general, warts are painless and dont itch. However, those that occur on the soles of the feet typically cause pain when putting weight on the affected foot.

Children tend to get plantar warts much more often than adults. They are more at risk (a) because as one gets older the immune system becomes better prepared for the viruses and (b) they tend to run around much more with bare feet and it is so easy for a child to pick up the virus in a shower, at the gym or around the pool.

The signs and symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Warts. This medical information about signs and symptoms for Warts has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Warts signs or Warts symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Warts may vary on an individual basis for each patient.

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Peter Hutch
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