Plantar Warts

As summer draws to a close, many of us have an uninvited guest on the bottom of our feet as a result of traipsing around without shoes on. A plantar wart is the product of a virus that can enter our bodies through small cuts in the skin. This virus (human Papillomavirus or HPV) has been known to be resistant to traditional over the counter remedies.

What is “Verruca”?

Verruca is the medical term used to describe a wart. In the feet a wart is referred to as verruca plantaris. These small, mostly flesh colored ‘bumps’ tend to grow on the weight bearing parts of our feet (the most likely place for a skin tear). They sometimes have black dots associated within the lesion itself – these are tiny blood vessels that help the wart survive. Attacking this blood supply is one way your podiatrist can stop a wart from multiplying.

How do I get a wart?

You acquire warts through direct contact with the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 types of HPV. Some types of HPV tend to cause warts on your hands, fingers or near your fingernails. Others tend to cause warts on your feet. The virus that causes plantar warts isn't highly contagious, but it thrives in warm, moist environments including:

• shower floors
• locker rooms
• public swimming areas

It’s important to NOT walk barefoot in these areas to minimize the risk of contracting HPV. It is also very important to address any issues regarding sweaty feet (the ultimate warm, moist environment!) at the time of wart treatment to help prevent future breakouts.

Treatment Options

Plantar warts are known to be difficult to treat → the high rate of skin shedding on your foot leads to an outgrowth of new warts often before the original lesion has been fully treated. Generally, the over the counter treatment options do not work simply because of the concentration of the medicines in them. Salicylic acid is a common ingredient in these therapies and one that can easily damage healthy skin if not used correctly. A few common treatment options that your podiatrist may apply are:

• Freezing (cryotherapy, or liquid nitrogen therapy: This involves applying liquid nitrogen with a spray canister or cotton-tipped applicator to freeze and destroy your wart. This treatment isn't too painful and is often effective, although you may need repeated treatments. The chemical causes a blister to form around your wart, and the dead tissue sloughs off within a week or so.
• Cantharidin: This is a substance extracted from the blister beetle. Typically, the extract is paired with salicylic acid and is applied to the plantar wart and covered with a bandage. The application is painless, but the resulting skin blister can be uncomfortable. Your doctor clips away the dead part of the wart in about a week.
• Laser surgery: There are several different types of lasers used to remove stubborn warts. Laser surgery is more painful and can require multiple sessions to treat the warts.
• Immunotherapy: This treatment option involves the use of antigens to stimulate your immune system and make it ‘react’ to the wart itself.
• Minor surgery: This involves cutting away the wart or destroying the wart by using a numbing agent on the skin and removing the entire wart. This treatment can work well for warts that are small in number and size and have been difficult to treat with other options

For more information about warts and the treatment options associated with warts, please contact me at 309-661-9975 or visit our website.