A wart is a benign skin tumor from which no one is immune.Everyone who cares about their own health should know what warts look like, photos of which show different types of growths.Knowing the specific signs of different types of tumors will help you notice their growth over time and consult a doctor with any questions about its treatment or removal.
What warts look like: photos and characteristics
The human papillomavirus causes various growths to form on the skin.
Warts, photos of which are presented in large quantities on the Internet, can take various forms.The reason for this 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:
- common warts;
- papillomas;
- flat warts;
- keratomas;
- filamentous warts;
- condyloma;
- plantar warts.
In fact, any type of growth caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) may be called a papilloma, as this is a general designation for a type of benign neoplasm.
Keratomas are the only type of tumors on the list above that are not caused by a virus.Such neoplasms appear in older people, due to age-related changes in the epidermis.
Characteristics of common warts
Most often, these warts form on the fingers;if they interfere, they must be removed.
The common wart is the most common type of growth.It is very easy to recognize it in a photo thanks to its characteristic features.It has the shape of a small ball, rising above the rest of the epidermis.The lump is homogeneous, quite dense, palpation is painless.Common warts can be lightly or heavily pigmented.Most often, their color does not differ from the rest of the epidermis, but they can be brown, resembling moles.
Common warts vary in size from a few millimeters to a centimeter in diameter, with large sizes being a rare exception.
Hair may grow from the body of the wart if the growth is located on a hairy area of the body.This is completely normal and does not constitute a pathology.
A wart can be damaged on a daily basis.Accidental tearing of the growth is accompanied by profuse bleeding.This is due to damage to the capillaries that feed the wart.Most often, these warts are located on the hands, fingers and feet.
Rubbing the growth with clothing can lead to swelling and inflammation.In this case, discomfort and pain appear.Generally, if a wart is bothersome, 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 understanding what a wart looks like in the photo, you should consider another common type of growth: papillomas.It is a small soft ball on a stalk, which rises noticeably above the rest of the epidermis.
Characteristics of papillomas:
- small sizes;
- slight pigmentation;
- soft and homogeneous structure;
- no discomfort on palpation.
The thin stem nourishes 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 compressed by fabric, shoe straps or other clothing, papillomas can become inflamed.It causes pain.Damage to papillomas is potentially dangerous, so it is best to remove them quickly.Depending on the strain of the virus that caused the formation of the growths, papillomas can degenerate into malignant neoplasms.To be fair, it must be said that this happens very rarely, in no more than 4% of cases.
Location 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 skin formations slightly raised above its surface.
Flat warts occur in children and adolescents.They are easily recognizable in the photo: they are small flat growths of predominantly yellowish color.They look like small patches or bumps on the skin and are almost invisible.The surface of flat warts is smooth and shiny.
This type of growth is harmless.Flat warts do not hurt and do not cause discomfort, they are difficult to damage in everyday life, and they almost never degenerate into malignant neoplasms.
Flat warts are removed primarily for cosmetic reasons, since they often appear on the face and neck.
Keratomas
Keratoma has a different nature of formation and occurs in older people.
This type of growth is not viral, but age-related.Observed mainly 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.Despite this, keratomes are not dangerous.They do not hurt or cause discomfort.These are essentially small areas of skin in which pigmentation is altered and keratinization processes are improved.
Symptoms of filamentous warts
Filiform warts usually affect delicate areas of the skin.
Filiform warts are small, oblong-shaped growths on the skin.They occur in places with thin, sensitive skin, mainly on the neck, around the mammary glands and under the armpits.Filiform warts look like a papilloma stalk 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 several millimeters in length and diameter.
Such growths appear in middle-aged and elderly people.In children, adolescents and young people under 35, filamentous warts are not observed.
How to recognize condyloma?
Condyloma are located on the mucous membranes - in the mouth, on the genitals.
Condyloma is a small growth of overgrown epithelial cells.The main characteristic is the papillary structure.Condyloma occurs 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 shaft of the penis.
The virus responsible for warts is transmitted sexually.
Condyloma can appear alone or in groups.In the second case, they gradually grow together, forming large growths, shaped like a cockscomb, broccoli or cauliflower.Their structure is heterogeneous, the color is pink or light brown.
Particularly dangerous are genital warts.They grow quickly and can affect the urethra and cervix.Cervical warts are potentially dangerous because their cells quickly degenerate into a malignant tumor.
Plantar warts
Plantar warts cause significant discomfort when walking.
A plantar wart, or plantar wart, is a particular type of growth that exclusively affects the feet.Outwardly, they look like small calluses surrounded by keratinized skin.The color is often yellowish white.The peculiarity of the spine is that it grows quickly and hurts when walking.This is due to the fact that its root lies deep under the skin and irritates the surrounding tissues when walking, squeezing them.
Thorns are equally common in adults and children.They grow quickly and therefore require rapid identification and removal.A plantar wart practically does not extend beyond the healthy epidermis, representing a small patch 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, therefore all methods of removing warts are aimed at destroying it.
The exact appearance of a wart's roots depends on the type of growth.In common warts, condylomas and papillomas, the roots are invisible from the outside because they are located under the skin.The root is a proliferation of epidermal cells that extend deep under the skin and include small capillary vessels through which the blood supply to the growth and its growth is ensured.
The root of a wart and papilloma practically duplicates the visible part of the neoplasm, but is located deep under the skin, so it is impossible to see it.
The appearance of a wart's roots depends on the size of the root system of the growth.In addition, the larger the papilloma itself, the larger its root.The only root you can notice for yourself is the base of the spine.This is a slight compaction around the growth.If the spine is large, its root becomes darker, which is visible.
How to avoid making a wrong diagnosis?
Only a doctor can correctly diagnose the type of formation.
Having understood what warts that appear on the body look like and how papillomas and condylomas appear, it is important to understand that the diagnosis should only be made by a specialist.In addition to determining the type of growth from a photo, it is important to undergo testing to identify the strain of the virus and its activity.This will allow you to correctly draw up a treatment regimen so that the warts do not reappear immediately after treatment.For this purpose, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist immediately after detecting the first growth.If the virus is active, there is a risk of multiple benign skin growths appearing on different parts of the body.