A wart is a benign neoplasm on the skin that no one is immune to.Anyone who cares about their health should know what warts look like, their photos show different types of growths.Knowing the specific symptoms of different types of tumors will help you to see the growth in time and contact the doctor with questions about its treatment or removal.
What do warts look like: photos and features
Human papillomavirus causes various growths on the skin.
Warts, photos of which are presented in large quantities on the Internet, can be of various forms.The reason is the variety of strains of the HPV virus, which cause the process of division of epithelial cells and the appearance of growths.
The following types of neoplasms are distinguished:
- vulgar warts;
- papillomas;
- straight warts;
- keratomas;
- filamentous warts;
- condylomas;
- plantar warts.
In fact, any growth caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) can be called a papilloma, as this is the general term for a type of benign neoplasm.
Keratomas are the only type of growth from the list above that is not caused by a virus.Such neoplasms appear in elderly people, this is due to age-related changes in the epidermis.
Characteristics of vulgar warts
Often, such warts are formed on the fingers;if they interfere, they should be eliminated.
It is the most common growth type of wart vulgaris.Due to its characteristic features, it is very easy to recognize it from the photo.It has the shape of a small ball that rises above the rest of the epidermis.The ball is homogeneous, dense enough, palpation is painless.Vulgar warts can be light or highly pigmented.Often they do not differ in color from the rest of the epidermis, but they can be brown in color, similar to moles.
The size of vulgar warts varies from a few millimeters to a centimeter in diameter, large sizes are a rare exception.
If the growth is located in a hairy area of the body, hair may grow from the body of the wart.This is completely normal and not pathological.
Warts can be damaged in daily life.Accidental rupture of the growth is accompanied by profuse bleeding.This is due to damage to the capillaries that feed the warts.Most often, such warts are located 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 is in the way, 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 a wart looks like in a photo, you should consider another common type of growth - papillomas.They are a small soft ball on a stalk that rises noticeably from the rest of the epidermis.
Features of papillomas:
- small sizes;
- light pigmentation;
- soft homogeneous structure;
- There is no discomfort during palpation.
A thin stalk feeds the body of the papilloma.Blood supply for growth is provided by capillaries, so if the leg is injured, bleeding begins.Under normal conditions, papillomas do not hurt and do not cause discomfort, but when pressed by cloth, shoelaces or other clothing items, papillomas can become inflamed.It causes pain.Damage to papillomas is potentially dangerous, so it is preferable to remove them in time.Depending on the strain of the virus that causes growths, papillomas can turn into malignant neoplasms.In fairness, 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 be seen in other parts of the body.
Straight warts in the photo
Flat warts are formations on the skin that are raised slightly above the surface.
Flat warts occur in children and adolescents.They are easily recognizable from the photo: they are flat, mostly yellowish small growths.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 and do not cause discomfort, it is difficult to damage them 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.
Keratomes
Keratoma has a different nature of formation and occurs in older people.
This type of growth is age related and not viral.The formation of keratomas, observed mainly in elderly people, 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 crusty.Nevertheless, keratomas are not dangerous.They do not harm and do not cause discomfort.In fact, these are small areas of the skin where pigmentation is disturbed and keratinization processes are intensified.
Symptoms of filamentous warts
Filiform warts usually affect delicate areas of the skin.
Filiform warts are small, elongated growths on the skin.They occur in places with thin and sensitive skin, mainly on the neck, around the breasts and in the armpits.Filiform warts look like a papilloma stalk without a rounded body at the top.They are rarely pigmented and in most cases do not differ in color from the rest of the epidermis.The size of growths is not more than a few millimeters in length and diameter.
Such growths appear in middle-aged and elderly people.Filamentous warts are not observed in children, adolescents and young people under 35 years of age.
How to recognize condyloma?
Condylomas are located on mucous membranes - mouth, genitals.
A condyloma is a small growth of enlarged epithelial cells.The main feature is the papillary structure.Condylomas occur on the mucous membranes, including the genitals.In women, it can cover the labia minora, walls of the vagina, cervix, urethra, head and shaft of the penis.
The virus that causes condyloma is sexually transmitted.
Condylomas can appear singly or in groups.In the second case, they gradually grow together, forming large growths similar to a rooster's comb, broccoli or cauliflower.Their structure is heterogeneous, their color is pink or light brown.
Genital warts are especially dangerous.They grow quickly and can affect the urethra and cervix.Condylomas on the cervix are potentially dangerous, because their cells quickly turn into malignant neoplasms.
Plantar warts
Plantar warts cause significant discomfort while walking.
A plantar wart or plantar wart is a specific type of growth that only affects the feet.Externally, they look like small calluses with keratinized skin around them.Its color is often yellowish-white.The peculiarity of the spine is that it grows rapidly and hurts when walking.This is due to the fact that its root is located deep in the skin and when walking, it compresses and irritates the surrounding tissues.
Spines are equally common in adults and children.They grow quickly, so they need to be identified and removed in time.A plantar wart practically does not rise above the healthy epidermis, it represents a small plate of keratinized skin.
Wart root
The papilloma itself, wart or condyloma is only the visible part of the growth that rises above the skin.The wart itself grows from the inside, from the root.It is the root that plays the main role in the formation of the growth, so all methods of removing warts are aimed at destroying it.
Exactly what the roots of a wart look like depends on the type of growth.In vulgar warts, condylomas and papillomas, the roots are located under the skin, so they are invisible from the outside.A root is a proliferation of epidermal cells that extend deep beneath the skin and contain tiny capillaries that provide blood supply and growth to the growth.
The root of a wart and papilloma practically duplicates the visible part of a neoplasm, but it is located deep in the skin, so it cannot be seen.
How the roots of a wart look depends on the size of the root system of the growth.Moreover, the larger the papilloma, the larger the root.The only root you can notice on your own is the base of the spine.This is a light squeeze around the growth.If the spine is large, the root is darkened, this is noticeable.
How not to make a mistake with the diagnosis?
Only a doctor can correctly diagnose the type of formation.
After understanding what warts on the body look like and what papilloma and condyloma look like, it is necessary to understand that the diagnosis should be made only by a specialist.In addition to determining the type of growth from the photograph, it is important to undergo tests to determine the strain of the virus and its activity.This will allow you to design the treatment regimen correctly so that warts do not reappear immediately after treatment.For this purpose, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist immediately after the first growth is detected.If the virus is active, there is a risk of multiple benign skin growths on different parts of the body.