About all

Plantar warts hpv: Plantar warts – Symptoms and causes

by alexxlab

What is it, Symptoms, Treatment, and More

Some plantar warts will go away naturally. Others may require at-home or medical treatments, such as applying salicylic acid to “burn” off the wart, or liquid nitrogen to “freeze” off the wart.

Plantar warts are warts that affect the bottom of the feet. They are very common, especially in children.

A plantar wart, sometimes called a verruca, is typically associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) according to research from 2020. HPV causes a buildup of the protein keratin on the skin, which can result in warts.

HPV thrives in warm, moist places, such as locker room floors and around swimming pools. Those little puddles on the surface of pool tiles are a breeding ground for HPV.

The virus is transmitted by direct contact and may be picked up more easily if you have an opening or crack in your skin.

While plantar warts can appear anywhere on the foot, they appear most often on the bottom of the foot, according to 2019 research. They usually show up on the underside of your toes or your heel.

Occasionally, plantar warts grow inward, below the surface of the skin, and may look like a callus. A healthcare professional can help you determine whether your hard spot is a plantar wart or a callus.

Plantar warts can be painful. One of the first symptoms you may notice is pain or tenderness when putting pressure on your foot while walking.

According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, other symptoms of a plantar wart include:

  • thickened skin on the bottom of your foot
  • tiny black dots on your foot, which are actually dried blood stuck in the capillaries in and around the wart
  • white or skin-colored lesions on the bottom of your foot

In some cases, a plantar wart will resolve naturally. Other cases may require treatment. You can treat a plantar wart a few different ways, either by seeing a doctor or by treating the wart at home.

Treatments include:

  • salicylic acid, which can help “burn” off the wart and comes in forms such as a liquid, cream, stick, or embedded on cotton pads
  • cryotreatment, which can be used to “freeze” off the wart
  • curettage, which involves cutting out the wart
  • medication applied directly to the wart
  • laser therapy to burn off the blood vessels that feed the wart

Salicylic acid and liquid nitrogen are the most common treatments. Both require multiple treatments over several weeks to get rid of the wart or warts.

Salicylic acid is available over the counter. You can use it at home. Follow the directions on the packaging, and expect to apply the medication for approximately 12 weeks.

One small review from 2019 found that treating a plantar wart with salicylic acid was just as effective as cryotreatment by a doctor.

If your wart is deep or if it returns, you may need to see a doctor. Your doctor may combine different treatments, such as cryotherapy with salicylic acid, for more effective results.

Plantar warts are caused by HPV, which is a group of viruses that can affect your skin.

HPV can cause warts on other parts of your body, but only the warts on your feet are classified as plantar warts.

In individuals with plantar warts, HPV has found a way into the body via a cut or scrape on the skin. People with a weakened immune system may be more susceptible to developing plantar warts.

If you suspect you have a plantar wart, you should check in with a doctor, since it can be hard to tell how much the wart has grown beneath the skin. You should definitely see a doctor if the wart is causing you pain or spreading to another location.

A doctor can help you determine which treatment is best for you based on how advanced the wart is. If the wart has returned, for example, your doctor might choose a different combination treatment to ensure its removal.

Once your doctor has diagnosed your plantar wart, they will recommend removal methods such as salicylic acid or cryotreatment.

It’s important to get a doctor’s advice before trying to remove the wart. Doing so without input from a physician could result in damage to your foot. Never try to remove a plantar wart by cutting it off yourself.

While there are home remedies floating around on the internet that may involve things like essential oils or apple cider vinegar, most of these treatments have not been proven and could end up causing more discomfort.

Most treatments for plantar warts take several weeks. The most important thing to remember when treating a wart is consistency.

Plantar warts can be difficult to eliminate and have a tendency to return, so be sure to follow your treatment plan carefully.

Cryotherapy usually requires two to three trips to the doctor for liquid nitrogen therapy. Laser therapy might work in one to three treatments.

If you’ve had your wart cut off by a doctor, stay off your foot for about a day. Keep the area covered with a bandage, and avoid putting pressure on the wart site.

To help prevent a plantar wart, consider the following tips:

  • Always cover your feet in shared community spaces, such as pools, locker rooms, or dorms.
  • If you are under 26 years old, ask your doctor about receiving the HPV vaccine. It may help prevent warts, though more research is needed.
  • If you have a wart, change your shoes and socks daily.
  • Keep the wart covered, and wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading plantar warts to other people.

Plantar warts are common and treatable. There’s no single treatment that’s always effective. You may be able to treat them at home, but more serious cases may require treatment at your doctor’s office.

The Human Papillomavirus and Its Role in Plantar Warts: A Comprehensive Review of Diagnosis and Management

Review

. 2016 Jul;33(3):337-53.

doi: 10.1016/j.cpm.2016.02.003.

Epub 2016 Mar 29.

Tracey C Vlahovic 
1
, M Tariq Khan 
2

Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Podiatric Medicine, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, 148 North 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 2 Marigold Clinic, The Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 60 Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3HR, UK; Department of Dermatology, Barts Health Trust, London, UK; EB Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, London, UK; St George Medical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Podiatric Medicine, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

  • PMID:

    27215155

  • DOI:

    10.1016/j.cpm.2016.02.003

Review

Tracey C Vlahovic et al.

Clin Podiatr Med Surg.

2016 Jul.

. 2016 Jul;33(3):337-53.

doi: 10.1016/j.cpm.2016.02.003.

Epub 2016 Mar 29.

Authors

Tracey C Vlahovic 
1
, M Tariq Khan 
2

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Podiatric Medicine, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, 148 North 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 2 Marigold Clinic, The Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 60 Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3HR, UK; Department of Dermatology, Barts Health Trust, London, UK; EB Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, London, UK; St George Medical School, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Podiatric Medicine, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

  • PMID:

    27215155

  • DOI:

    10.1016/j.cpm.2016.02.003

Abstract

Viral warts or verruca pedis (plantar warts) are common skin conditions seen in both children and adults. Human papilloma virus (HPV), a DNA virus, is responsible for plantar verrucae. It needs an epidermal abrasion and a transiently impaired immune system to inoculate a keratinocyte. These entities are a therapeutic conundrum for many practitioners. This article discusses HPV infiltration and its subtypes involved in plantar warts; the evaluation of patients with plantar warts; and subsequent treatment options, such as laser, Candida albicans immunotherapy, topical therapy such as phytotherapy, and surgical excision.


Keywords:

Candida; Laser; Marigold; Plantar verruca; Plantar wart; Retinoid.

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Similar articles

  • Diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of plantar verruca.

    Landsman MJ, Mancuso JE, Abramow SP.

    Landsman MJ, et al.
    Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 1996 Jan;13(1):55-71.
    Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 1996.

    PMID: 8849932

    Review.

  • Plantar Warts: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Management.

    Witchey DJ, Witchey NB, Roth-Kauffman MM, Kauffman MK.

    Witchey DJ, et al.
    J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2018 Feb 1;118(2):92-105. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2018.024.
    J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2018.

    PMID: 29379975

    Review.

  • HPV type in plantar warts influences natural course and treatment response: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

    Bruggink SC, Gussekloo J, de Koning MN, Feltkamp MC, Bavinck JN, Quint WG, Assendelft WJ, Eekhof JA.

    Bruggink SC, et al.
    J Clin Virol. 2013 Jul;57(3):227-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2013.02.021. Epub 2013 Mar 19.
    J Clin Virol. 2013.

    PMID: 23518443

    Clinical Trial.

  • Human papillomavirus types 2, 27, and 57 Identified in plantar verrucae from HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals.

    King CM, Johnston JS, Ofili K, Tam M, Palefsky J, Da Costa M, Mathur Y, Barbosa P.

    King CM, et al.
    J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2014 Mar;104(2):141-6. doi: 10.7547/0003-0538-104.2.141.
    J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2014.

    PMID: 24725033

  • Plantar Verrucae in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: 25 Years of Research of a Viral Coinfection.

    Dardet JP, Blasingame NP, Okpare D, Leffler L, Barbosa P.

    Dardet JP, et al.
    Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 2020 Apr;37(2):317-325. doi: 10.1016/j.cpm.2019.12.010. Epub 2020 Feb 5.
    Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 2020.

    PMID: 32146987

    Review.

See all similar articles

Cited by

  • HPV Vaccination Adherence in Working-Age Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Amantea C, Foschi N, Gavi F, Borrelli I, Rossi MF, Spuntarelli V, Russo P, Gualano MR, Santoro PE, Moscato U.

    Amantea C, et al.
    Vaccines (Basel). 2023 Feb 15;11(2):443. doi: 10.3390/vaccines11020443.
    Vaccines (Basel). 2023.

    PMID: 36851321
    Free PMC article.

    Review.

  • A Retrospective Study of Clinical Efficacy of Cantharidin Cream for Verruca Plantaris.

    Wu X, Hu Y, Lu Y, Ke X, Liu K, Zhou X, Hu Y.

    Wu X, et al.
    Infect Drug Resist. 2022 Jul 27;15:4059-4063. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S375384. eCollection 2022.
    Infect Drug Resist. 2022.

    PMID: 35924013
    Free PMC article.

  • Verrucae pedis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and other paediatric rheumatic diseases: a cross-sectional study.

    Ferrari J.

    Ferrari J.
    J Foot Ankle Res. 2022 Apr 21;15(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s13047-022-00526-7.
    J Foot Ankle Res. 2022.

    PMID: 35449072
    Free PMC article.

  • Assessment of Visual Diagnosis by Podiatrists for HPV and Onychomycosis: The Need for Complementary Tests.

    Aldana-Caballero A, Mayordomo R, Marcos-Tejedor F.

    Aldana-Caballero A, et al.
    J Fungi (Basel). 2022 Jan 29;8(2):135. doi: 10.3390/jof8020135.
    J Fungi (Basel). 2022.

    PMID: 35205889
    Free PMC article.

  • Sequential Use of CO2 Laser Prior to Nd:YAG and Dye Laser in the Management of Non-Facial Warts: A Retrospective Study.

    Bennardo L, Fasano G, Tamburi F, Zappia E, Rizzuto F, Nisticò SP, Cannarozzo G.

    Bennardo L, et al.
    Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Jan 12;58(1):115. doi: 10.3390/medicina58010115.
    Medicina (Kaunas). 2022.

    PMID: 35056422
    Free PMC article.

See all “Cited by” articles

Publication types

MeSH terms

Plantar warts. Causes, treatment

Plantar warts. Causes, treatment

  • Medical appointments

  • Syphilidologist
  • INFECTIONIST
  • Dermatologist
  • Therapist
  • Cardiologist
  • Oncologist
  • Endocrinologist
  • Neurologist
  • Medical certificates
  • Ultrasound diagnostics – ultrasound
  • Functional diagnostics
  • Urologist
  • Venereologist
  • Parasitologist
  • Mammologist
  • All services

  • Diagnosis

  • Gynecology
  • Dermatovenereology
  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Oncology
  • Therapy
  • Urology
  • Endocrinology
  • Infectology

  • Treatment

  • A
  • B
  • B
  • D
  • D
  • E
  • Yo
  • F
  • Z
  • and
  • Y
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • H
  • O
  • P
  • P
  • C
  • T
  • W
  • F
  • X
  • C
  • H
  • W
  • W
  • E
  • Yu
  • I

COVID

Full range of medical care for COVID virus infection

CHECK-UP

Full range of complex medical diagnostics

Tests

take tests at affordable prices

Drugs 9013 1

specialized pharmacy

Online

specialist consultation

DISCOUNTS

Only profitable offers for you!

St. Petersburg, Ivana Chernykh st., 25A

Mon.-Sat. from 9:00 – 20:00, sun. from 10:00 – 18:00

  • home
  • •
  • News
  • •
  • Skin diseases
  • •

  • Plantar warts. Causes, treatment.

Plantar warts are benign epidermal growths that result from infection with human papillomavirus types 1, 2, 4, 27 and 57. Infection with these types of HPV occurs by contact – direct contact with the patient’s skin or with infected surfaces (showers, pools, baths, saunas, etc.). The transmission mechanism explains a large number of familial cases.

Plantar warts occur on the plantar surface of the foot, they are round, single or multiple confluent rough flesh-colored elements. When pressed, the patient experiences pain. Plantar warts often occur in places of maximum pressure, on the heels and on the base of the foot. The greatest discomfort of education is delivered when wearing tight uncomfortable shoes.

Plantar warts are usually easy to diagnose. The most typical symptom is pain on pressure. However, if the process is painless, differential diagnosis with calluses is required. The difference between a plantar wart and a callus is that when the tire of the element under the crust is mechanically processed, an easily vulnerable bleeding papillary layer is found in the wart, which never happens in the callus.

The treatment of plantar warts is a laborious and lengthy process that combines the use of mechanical processing of elements, the application of external agents and systemic therapy. However, up to a quarter of cases resolve on their own.

There are 2 main treatments for warts:
• Conservative therapy:
◦ External preparations that soften and clean the wart (plasters, creams, pastes, solutions). They are painless, but the treatment is long from 6 to 12 weeks.
◦ Hardware medical treatment of warts (pedicure) is used to speed up treatment. During treatment, the stratum corneum is painlessly peeled off. After treatment, external agents penetrate deeper into the wart.
• Surgical treatment: excision, cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen, laser or radio wave removal.
◦ Advantages of the surgical approach: fast, efficient.
◦ Disadvantage of the method: prolonged painful tissue healing. A dermatovenereologist-podologist consults at ID-clinic, who successfully applies conservative treatment, hardware processing and the Fotek radio wave surgical device.

Prevention of plantar warts. Non-specific methods of prevention include wearing individual slippers in public showers, pools, baths, etc. If a sick person appears in the family, the bathroom should be carefully cleaned after visiting the sick person, use different towels and slippers for the sick and healthy family members. Specific prevention of plantar warts is vaccination against HPV. In Russia, the Gardasil vaccine is used for this purpose.

Author: Victoria V. Bortuleva, dermatovenereologist of the highest category, clinical mycologist, podologist

Specialist:

Tags:

treatments
HPV

Cost of services

Inspection

Removal of benign skin growths (caused by HPV, 1 element)

1000 ₽

Removal of benign neoplasms of the skin (caused by HPV, 2-5 elements) for 1 pc.

700 ₽

Removal of benign skin tumors (caused by HPV, more than 5 elements) for 1 pc.

500 ₽

B01.008.001

Primary appointment (examination, consultation) with a dermatovenereologist

3000 ₽

B04.014.004.006

Vaccination against human papillomavirus (Gardasil)

13000 ₽

А16.01.046.09

Treatment of 1 corn

400 ₽

Make an appointment

St. Petersburg, Ivan Chernykh st., 25A

Mon-Sat 09. 00-20.00, Sun 10.00-18.00

By clicking the button you agree to the terms of the Privacy Policy

  • Krotov Kirill Yurievich

    Urologist,
    Oncologist,
    Oncourologist,
    Doctor of the highest category