Pesky Warts

What exactly are they?? How did I come to get them? What can I do to rid my skin of them??


These are the main questions that patients frequently ask me when I initially see them for these lesions. I plan to answer each one and give you some insight as to what sorts of treatment strategies are available at our center.


Verruca vulgaris, or verruca plantaris is an epidermal manifestation of a viral infection from particles of the human papilloma virus. This sounds rather deleterious, but truthfully this is a mild variation of viral substances which are in a family of pathogens that cause various wart like lesions in other areas of the body. To simplify, it is a virus that causes wart tissue proliferation. The virus produces it's own blood supply, and the tissue gets thick very quickly causing the characteristic black spots within. When we "scrape" the wart off, we can see pinpoint bleeding from the vessels created by the viral tissue.












The skin has lines which we see as "Fingerprints" and the skin on the bottom of our feet have them too. When viral particles integrate with the skin tissue, these lines disappear. This is another clue towards the diagnosis of verruca.

The reason some people are susceptible to contracting plantar warts is a controversial topic. Some researchers believe it is stress. Others believe a juvenile immune system, or immune compromised individual are more prone. I believe there are a multitude of reasons, but don't fret if you think you will spread them to everyone in your family, because chances are you will not. They are contagious, but only to those who have the inherent susceptibility to getting them.

Treatment is varied, and little scientific research has shown one method of wart removal to be superior to another. In my practice, I have seen warts spontaneously resolve, and I have seen multiple attempts of their removal including surgery fail. They are resilient at times, and at other times they are simple to cure. Some believe with younger patients, you can actually coax the wart to resolve by simply drawing a picture of the wart and crumbling the artwork into the trash.

At the Family Foot and Leg Center, we have an excellent track record in their eradication. We use a multitude of treatment modalities, including PlantarStat application, Cryofreeze technology which using subzero temperatures to remove the lesions, and simple surgical excision as major options. Duct tape has also been utilized as an occlusion material with our medications, to soften the tissue and some believe even elicit further immune response against the viral particles. Come in to see us and we will be happy to assist you in your need to remove those pesky warts.