The Lowdown on Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are benign or non-cancerous growths caused by a strain of the human papilloma virus, or HPV. These appear as small lesions that grow on the heel, or the ball of the foot. Plantar warts may or may not be painful, but pressure from standing or walking can make them grow into deep layers of skin, causing pain in the process. This can be transmitted through common bathing areas, such as gyms and dormitories.
A study from the American Podiatric Medical Association, or the APMA, reveals that plantar warts are most common in children and young adults 12 to 16 years old. The HPV can invade the body through breaks in the skin or the bottom of the feet such as cuts and wounds. The virus is usually found on contaminated floor surfaces, such as floors in showers, or swimming pools. If a person usually walking barefoot in these areas, he/she has a greater risk of contracting this disease. Normally, the body’s immune system can destroy HPV, but some people are more prone to the disease than others.

Plantar warts appear as rough and spongy patches on the skin. They are usually colored yellow, gray or brown with dark pinpoints. These pinpoints are the tiny capillaries that carry blood to the wart. When one rubs it vigorously, the wart can bleed. The surface of the wart can be misleading since it reveals only a tiny rough surface. However, the portion under the skin is the bigger part of the wart, at least twice as big as what one would see outside.

If one does not seek medical treatment immediately, these plantar warts can grow up to 1 inch in circumference and then spread into clusters. These are now termed as mosaic warts. In can be so severe that it can result in leg and back pain, as well as a change in posture.

There are a lot of available treatments for plantar warts. These include:

Over-the-counter medicines or special chemicals that can destroy the warts as well as the healthy skin cells around it. Self-treatment using these preparations is not advisable to patients.

The doctor, or the podiatrist, can apply topical mild acids to treat plantar warts. This will take multiple applications that run for several weeks, until the warts disintegrate. Examples are Salicylic acid, Cantharidin and Dichloroacetic acid.

Laser treatments, such as CO2 laser, can be another effective treatment option for warts. There is little or no scarring and this can remove the wart for good in most cases. This can be performed in an outpatient surgery facility or even in the doctor’s office.

Cryotherapy is another effective solution in treating warts. Sodium Nitride, or other very cold solutions, are applied on the wart and freezes them. This destroys the virus and then the wart turns black and falls off after a couple of days. Sometimes though, the solution cannot penetrate deep enough, so the virus can still survive.

Curettage, or surgical removal of warts is also an option. This removes isolated warts not greater than 2cm, or mosaic patches of warts. This can be used in combination with other treatments, if needed.