skin disorders
Warts
Symptoms of Warts
Warts are classified by their location on the skin and shape. Some warts grow in clusters, but others appear as isolated, single growths. Most warts are painless, but some hurt when touched. Warts on the feet can cause pain when standing or walking. Warts may have black dots, particularly if shaved. Common warts (also called verrucae vulgaris), which almost everyone gets, are firm growths that usually have a rough surface. They are round or irregularly shaped; are light gray, yellow, brown, or gray-black; and are usually less than 1/2 inch (about 1 centimeter) across. Generally, they appear on areas that are frequently injured, such as the knees, face, fingers, and elbows. Common warts may spread to surrounding skin. Plantar wartsdevelop on the sole of the foot, where they are usually flattened by the pressure of walking and are surrounded by thickened skin. Palmar wartsdevelop on the palm of the hand. Plantar and palmar warts tend to be hard and flat, with a rough surface and well-defined boundaries. They are often tender, and plantar warts can be very painful when standing or walking, which puts pressure on them. Warts may appear on the top of the foot or on the toes, where they are usually raised and fleshier. Warts are often gray or brown and have a small black center. Unlike Corns and Calluses , plantar warts tend to bleed from many tiny spots, like pinpoints, when a doctor shaves or cuts the surface away with a knife. Mosaic warts are clusters of smaller plantar warts that join together. Like other plantar warts, they are often tender. Periungual warts are thickened, cauliflower-like growths around the nails. (Warts that grow under the mails are called subungual warts.) The nail may lose its cuticle, and other skin infections (such as Acute Paronychia ) can develop around the nail. These warts are more common among people who bite their nails or have an occupation where their hands are chronically wet such as dishwashing and bartending. These warts are long, narrow, branch-like growths that usually appear on the eyelids, face, neck, or lips. This type of wart usually does not cause symptoms and is usually easy to treat. Flat warts usually appear in groups as smooth, flat-topped, yellow-brown, pink, or skin-colored spots, most frequently on the face and tops of the hands. They can also develop along scratch marks. The beard area in men and the legs in women are also common locations for flat warts, where they may be spread by shaving. Flat warts are more common among children and young adults. This type of wart typically causes no symptoms but is usually difficult to treat. Also called venereal warts or condylomata acuminata, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection occur on the penis, anus, vulva, vagina, and cervix. They can be flat, smooth, and velvety or irregular, bumpy growths often with the texture of a small cauliflower. Genital warts usually do not cause symptoms, but warts around the anus often itch. Warts are most often spread from one part of the body to another, but they can also spread from one person to another. 