A wart is a benign neoplasm of the skin, from which no one is immune.Everyone who cares about their own health should know what warts look like, the photos of which show different types of growths.Knowing the specific signs of different types of tumors will help you notice the growth in time and consult a doctor with questions about its treatment or removal.
What warts look like: photos and characteristics
The human papillomavirus causes the formation of various formations on the skin.
Warts, the photos of which are presented in huge quantities on the Internet, can take different forms.The reason is the variety of strains of the HPV virus, which causes the process of epithelial cell division and the appearance of growths.
The following types of neoplasms are distinguished:
- vulgar warts;
- papillomas;
- flat warts;
- keratomas;
- filiform warts;
- condylomas;
- plantar warts.
In fact, any type of growth caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) can be called papillomas, as this is a general name for a type of benign neoplasm.
Keratomas are the only types of growths on the list above that are not caused by a virus.Such neoplasms appear in elderly people, which is due to age-related changes in the epidermis.
Characteristics of vulgar warts
Most often, such warts are formed on the fingers;if they interfere, they should be removed.
Vulgar warts are the most common type of growth.It is very easily recognized from a photo due to its characteristic markings.It is shaped like a small ball, rising above the rest of the epidermis.The ball is homogeneous, quite dense, palpation is painless.Vulgar warts can be lightly or heavily pigmented.Most often, they do not differ in color from the rest of the epidermis, but can be brown, resembling moles in color.
The size of vulgar warts varies from a few millimeters to a centimeter in diameter, large sizes are a rare exception.
Hair can grow from the body of the wart if the growth is located on a hairy area of the body.This is completely normal and not a pathology.
The wart can be damaged in everyday life.Accidental rupture of the growth is accompanied by profuse bleeding.This is due to damage to the capillaries that feed the wart.Most often, such warts are found on the hands, fingers and feet.
Rubbing the growth with clothing can cause swelling and inflammation.In this case, discomfort and pain appear.As a general rule, if the wart bothers you, it is recommended to remove it.
What do papillomas look like?
When papillomas appear, it is necessary to determine the strain of the virus - some types of HPV are oncogenic.
After you understand what the wart looks like in the photo, you should think about another common type of growth - papillomas.They are a small soft ball on a stalk that noticeably rises above the rest of the epidermis.
Characteristics of papillomas:
- small sizes;
- light pigmentation;
- soft homogeneous structure;
- absence of discomfort during palpation.
A thin handle provides nutrition to the body of the papilloma.The blood supply to the growth is provided by capillaries, so if the leg is damaged, bleeding begins.Under normal conditions, papillomas do not hurt or cause discomfort, but when pressed by fabric, shoelaces or other items of clothing, papillomas can become inflamed.It causes pain.Damage to papillomas is potentially dangerous, so it is preferable to remove them promptly.Depending on the strain of the virus that caused the formation of growths, papillomas can degenerate into malignant neoplasms.To be fair, it should be said that this happens very rarely, in no more than 4% of cases.
Localization of papillomas: back, armpits, inguinal folds, neck, but can also appear on other parts of the body.
Flat warts in the photo
Flat warts are formations on the skin that are slightly raised above its surface.
Flat warts are found in children and adolescents.They are easily recognizable from the photo: they are flat, small growths with a predominantly yellowish color.They look like small plaques or bumps on the skin and are almost invisible.The surface of flat warts is smooth and shiny.
This type of growth is safe.Flat warts do not hurt or cause discomfort, they are difficult to damage in everyday life and almost never turn into malignant neoplasms.
Flat warts are mostly removed for aesthetic reasons, as they often appear on the face and neck.
Keratomas
Keratoma has a different nature of formation and occurs in elderly people.
This type of growth is not viral but age-related.Primarily seen in the elderly, the formation of keratomas is often accompanied by pigmentation disorders in other parts of the body.
Keratomas are small, dark, irregular spots with a keratinized top layer.Their surface is uneven, hard to the touch and flaky.However, keratomas are not dangerous.They don't hurt or cause discomfort.Basically, these are small areas of the skin in which pigmentation is disturbed and keratinization processes are enhanced.
Symptoms of filiform warts
Filamentous warts usually affect delicate areas of the skin.
Filamentous warts are small oblong growths on the skin.They appear in places with thin and sensitive skin, mainly on the neck, around the mammary glands and in the armpits.Filamentous warts look like a stalk of papilloma without a round body on top.They are rarely pigmented and most often do not differ in color from the rest of the epidermis.The size of the growths does not exceed a few millimeters in length and diameter.
Such growths appear in middle-aged and elderly people.In children, adolescents and young people under 35 years of age, filiform warts are not observed.
How to recognize condylomas?
Condylomas are found on the mucous membranes - in the mouth, on the genitals.
A condyloma is a small growth of overgrown epithelial cells.The main characteristic is the papillary structure.Condylomas appear on the mucous membranes, including the genitals.They can cover the labia minora in women, the walls of the vagina, the cervix, the urethra, the head and body of the penis.
The virus that causes warts is sexually transmitted.
Condylomas can appear both individually and in groups.In the second case, they gradually grow together, forming large growths in the shape of a cock's comb, broccoli or cauliflower.Their structure is heterogeneous, the color is pink or light brown.
Genital warts are especially dangerous.They grow quickly and can affect the urethra and cervix.Condylomas of the cervix are potentially dangerous because their cells quickly degenerate into a malignant neoplasm.
Plantar warts
Plantar warts cause significant discomfort when walking.
A plantar wart or plantar wart is a special type of formation that exclusively affects the feet.Outwardly, they look like small calluses with keratinized skin around them.The color is often yellowish-white.The peculiarity of the spine is that it quickly increases in size and hurts when walking.This is due to the fact that its root is located deep under the skin and when walking it irritates the surrounding tissues by pressing on them.
Spikes are equally common in adults and children.They grow quickly, so they require timely identification and removal.The plantar wart practically does not rise above the healthy epidermis, being a small plaque of keratinized skin.
Wart root
The papilloma, wart or condyloma itself is only the visible part of the growth that rises above the skin.The wart itself grows from the inside, from the root.The main role in the formation of the growth is the root, which is why all methods of removing warts are aimed at its destruction.
Exactly what the roots of the wart look like depends on the type of growth.In vulgar warts, condylomas and papillomas, the roots are externally invisible, as they are located under the skin.A root is a proliferation of epidermal cells that extends deep under the skin and includes small capillary vessels that provide blood supply to the outgrowth and its growth.
The root of the wart and papilloma practically repeats the visible part of the neoplasm, but it is located deep under the skin, so it is impossible to see.
What the roots of the wart look like depends on the size of the growth's root system.In addition, the larger the papilloma itself, the larger its root.The only root you can spot on your own is the base of the spine.It is a slight thickening around the growth.If the thorn is large, its root becomes darker, which is noticeable.
How to avoid misdiagnosis?
Only a doctor can correctly diagnose the type of formation.
Having understood what the warts that appear on the body look like and how papillomas and condylomas appear, it is important to understand that the diagnosis should be carried out only by a specialist.In addition to determining the type of growth from a photo, it is important to undergo tests to identify the strain of the virus and its activity.This will allow you to correctly compose a treatment regimen so that warts do not reappear immediately after treatment.For this purpose, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist immediately after discovering the first growth.If the virus is active, there is a risk of multiple benign skin growths appearing on different parts of the body.