• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Warts

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Plane juvenile warts; Periungual warts; Subungual warts; Plantar warts; Verruca; Verrucae planae juveniles; Filiform warts; Verruca vulgaris

Treatment:

Over-the-counter medications can remove warts. These are applied to the wart every day for several weeks. DO NOT use these medications on your face or genitals. It helps to file the wart down when damp (for example, after a bath or shower) before applying these medications.

Special cushions are available at drugstores for plantar warts. These pads help relieve any pressure and pain from the warts.

Stronger (prescription) medications may be required for removal of persistent warts. Surgical removal or removal by freezing ( cryotherapy ), burning ( electrocautery ), or laser treatment may be needed.

Immunotherapy, done by injecting a substance that causes an allergic reaction, may also be considered by your doctor.

A vaccine called Gardasil prevents infection against the strains of viruses that often cause genital warts and cervical cancer in women.

DO NOT attempt to remove a wart yourself by burning, cutting, tearing, picking, or any other method.

Expectations (prognosis):

Warts are generally harmless growths that often go away on their own within two years. They can be contagious, but transmission from person to person is uncommon. Warts may be unsightly or cause discomfort, especially on the feet.

Complications:

• Spread of warts
• Return of warts that disappeared
• Minor scar formation if the wart is removed
• Formation of keloids after removal

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your doctor if:

• There are signs of infection (red streaking, pus, discharge, or fever) or bleeding. Warts can bleed a little, but if bleeding is significant or not easily stopped by light pressure, see a doctor.
• The wart does not respond to self-care and you want it removed.
• You have pain associated with the wart.
• You have anal or genital warts.
• You have diabetes or a weakened immune system (for example, HIV) and have developed warts.
• There is any change in the color or appearance of the wart.

References:

US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Licenses New Vaccine for Prevention of Cervical Cancer and Other Diseases in Females Caused by Human Papillomavirus . Rockville, MD: National Press Office; June 8, 2006. P06-77.

Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology . 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004:368-378.

Kasper D, Braunwald E, Fauci A, et al. Harrison's Principals of Internal Med icine. 16th edition [online version]. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2005.

• Review Date: 4/12/2007
• Reviewed By: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Associate, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.