Common warts - Symptoms, Causes, Images, and Treatment Options

Diseases

Highlights & Basics

Key Highlights

Common warts, also known as verrucae vulgaris, are caused by human papillomavirus infection and affect most people during their lifetimes. They are most common in children and young adults.
Common warts should be distinguished from serious conditions that mimic them, such as squamous cell carcinoma, especially in immunocompromised patients.
The goals of treatment are to destroy the lesion, induce cytotoxicity against infected cells, and promote antiviral immune responsiveness to prevent recurrence.
Best outcomes are achieved with a combination of destructive and immune sensitization approaches.
Most common warts in healthy people resolve spontaneously. Clearance rates in children from time of diagnosis to clearance are 23% at 2 months, 30% at 3 months, 65% to 78% at 2 years, and 90% at 5 years.

Verrucous papules on the fingers and periungual skin of the second, third, and fourth digits of a young adult

Courtesy of Daniela Kroshinsky, MD, personal clinical files

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History & Exam
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Definition

Epidemiology

Etiology

Pathophysiology

Images

Verrucous papules on the fingers and periungual skin of the second, third, and fourth digits of a young adult
Verrucous papule on the knee of a child

Citations

Key Articles

Lipke MM. An armamentarium of wart treatments. Clin Med Res. 2006;4:273-293.[Abstract][Full Text]
Gibbs S, Harvey I, Sterling J, et al. Local treatments for cutaneous warts: systematic review. BMJ. 2002;325:461.[Abstract][Full Text]
Kwok CS, Gibbs S, Bennett C, et al. Topical treatments for cutaneous warts. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(9):CD001781.[Abstract][Full Text]
Dall'oglio F, D'Amico V, Nasca MR, et al. Treatment of cutaneous warts: an evidence-based review. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2012;13:73-96.[Abstract]

Referenced Articles

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