What are warts?
Warts are noncancerous skin growths caused by the papillomavirus. Warts are more common in children, although they can develop at any age. Warts can spread to other parts of the body and from person-to-person. There are many different types and sizes of warts, due to many different papillomavirus types (approximately 60).
Common types of warts:
The following are some of the more common types of warts:
| common warts | growths around nails and the back of hands; usually have a rough surface; greyish-yellow or brown in color |
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| foot warts | flat growths on the soles of feet (plantar warts) with black dots (blood vessels feeding them); clusters of plantar warts are called mosaic warts and may be extremely painful |
| flat warts | small, smooth growths that grow in groups of 20 to 100 at a time; most often appear on children's faces |
| genital warts | grow on the genitals, are sexually transmitted; are soft and do not have a rough surface like other common warts |
| filiform warts | small, long, narrow growths that usually appear on eyelids, the face, or neck |
Treatment for warts:
Warts in children often disappear on their own. Treatment of warts depends on several factors, including:
Treatment may include:
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