A wart is a benign neoplasm on the skin from which no one is immune.Everyone who cares about their health should know what warts look like, in the photos of which various types of growths can be seen.Knowing the specific signs of different types of tumors will help you spot the growth in time and consult a doctor with questions about its treatment or removal.
What warts look like: photos and characteristics
The human papilloma virus causes the formation of various growths 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 division of epithelial cells and the appearance of growths.
The following types of neoplasms are distinguished:
- vulgar warts;
- papillomas;
- flat nipples;
- keratomes;
- filamentous warts;
- condylomas;
- plantar warts.
In fact, any type of growth caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) can be called papillomas, as this is the 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 older 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 must be removed.
Wart vulgaris is the most common type of growth.It is very easy to recognize from the photo because of its characteristic features.It has the shape of a small ball, which rises above the rest of the epidermis.The ball is homogeneous, quite dense, palpation is painless.Vulgar warts can be weakly or heavily pigmented.Most often, they do not differ in color from the rest of the epidermis, but they can be brown in color, similar to a mole.
The size of vulgar warts ranges from several millimeters to centimeters in diameter, large sizes are a rare exception.
Hair can grow from the body of the wart if the growth is on a hairy part of the body.This is completely normal and not a pathology.
The nipple 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 nipple.Most often, such warts are found on the hands, fingers and feet.
Rubbing the growth with clothing can lead to swelling and inflammation.In this case, discomfort and pain occur.As a 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 the stem, which noticeably rises above the rest of the epidermis.
Characteristics of papillomas:
- small size;
- mild pigmentation;
- soft homogeneous structure;
- no discomfort during palpation.
The thin stem provides nourishment to the body of the papilloma.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 squeezed by cloth, shoe straps or other items of clothing, papillomas can become inflamed.It causes pain.Damage to papillomas is potentially dangerous, so it is advisable to remove them in time.Depending on the strain of the virus that caused growths, papillomas can degenerate 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, armpit, inguinal folds, neck, but they can also appear on other parts of the body.
Flat nipples in the photo
Flat warts are formations on the skin that are slightly raised above its surface.
Flat warts occur in children and adolescents.They are easy to recognize from the photo: they are flat, small growths with a predominantly yellowish color.They resemble small plaques or bumps on the skin and are almost invisible.The surface of flat nipples is smooth and shiny.
This type of growth is safe.Flat warts do not hurt or cause discomfort, it is difficult to damage them in everyday life and they almost never degenerate into malignant neoplasms.
Flat warts are removed mainly for aesthetic reasons, as 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 elderly people, the formation of keratoma 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 scaly.Despite this, keratomas are not dangerous.They do not hurt or cause discomfort.Essentially, these are small areas of the skin where pigmentation is disturbed and keratinization processes are enhanced.
Symptoms of filamentous warts
Filiform warts usually affect delicate areas of the skin.
Filiform warts are small oblong growths on the skin.They occur in places with thin and sensitive skin, mainly on the neck, around the mammary glands and armpits.Filiform warts look like the stem of a papilloma without a round body on top.They are rarely pigmented and usually do not differ in color from the rest of the epidermis.The size of growths does not exceed a few millimeters in length and diameter.
Such growths occur in middle-aged and elderly people.In children, adolescents and young people under the age of 35, filamentous warts are not observed.
How to recognize condylomas?
Condylomas are found on mucous membranes - in the mouth, on the genitals.
Condylomas are small growths of overgrown epithelial cells.The main characteristic is the papillary structure.Condylomas occur 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 that causes genital warts is transmitted sexually.
Condylomas can appear singly or in groups.In the second case, they gradually grow together, forming large growths, in the form of cockles, 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 on 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 growth that affects only the feet.From the outside, they look like small blisters 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 irritates the surrounding tissues, tightening them.
Spines are equally common in adults and children.They grow quickly, so they need timely identification and removal.The plantar wart practically does not rise above the healthy epidermis, representing a small plaque of keratinized skin.
The root of the wart
The papilloma, wart or condyle itself 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 growths, therefore all methods of removing warts are aimed at its destruction.
How exactly the roots of the wart look depends on the type of growth.In vulgar 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 extends deep under the skin and includes small capillary vessels through which blood flow to the growth and its growth is ensured.
The root of the wart and papilloma practically replicates the visible part of the neoplasm, but it is located deep under the skin, so it is impossible to see it.
How the roots of the wart look depends on the size of the growth's root system.Moreover, the larger the papilloma itself, the larger its root.The only root you can notice for yourself is the base of the spine.It is a light compaction around growth.If the spine is large, its root becomes darker, which is noticeable.
How to avoid a diagnosis error?
Only a doctor can correctly diagnose the type of formation.
After understanding 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 only be made by an expert.In addition to determining the type of growth in the photo, it is important to undergo tests to identify the strain of the virus and its activity.This will allow you to properly put together 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.