Warts are benign neoplasms of the skin, to which no one is immune.Everyone who cares about their own health should know what warts look like, photos showing different types of growths.Knowing the specific signs of different types of tumors will help you see the growth in time and consult a doctor with questions about its treatment or removal.
What warts look like: photos and features
Human papillomavirus causes the formation of various tumors on the skin.
Warts, photos of which are presented in large quantities on the Internet, can take many forms.The reason is the various types of HPV virus, which cause the process of epithelial cell division and the appearance of growth.
The following types of neoplasms are distinguished:
- rough warts;
- papilloma;
- flat warts;
- keratoma;
- filamentous warts;
- condyloma;
- plantar warts.
In fact, any type of growth caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) can be called a papilloma, as this is the general term for a type of benign neoplasm.
Keratoma is the only type of growth from the list listed above that is not caused by a virus.Such neoplasms appear in older people, which are caused by age-related changes in the epidermis.
Characteristics of coarse warts
Often, such warts form on the fingers;if they interfere, they must be removed.
Warts vulgaris is the most common type of growth.It is very easy to recognize it from the photo because of its characteristic features.It has the shape of a small ball, rises above the entire epidermis.The ball is homogeneous, quite dense, palpation is painless.Vulgar warts can be lightly or heavily pigmented.Often, they do not differ in color from the rest of the epidermis, but they can be brown, resembling moles in color.
The size of vulgar warts ranges from several millimeters to one centimeter in diameter, large sizes are a rare exception.
Hair can grow from the body of the wart if the growth is located on a hairy area of the body.This is completely normal and not pathological.
Warts can be damaged in everyday life.Inadvertent tearing of the growth is accompanied by profuse bleeding.This is caused by damage to the capillaries that feed the warts.Most often, the 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 rule, if the wart is on the way, it is recommended to remove it.
What does a papilloma look like?
When papillomas appear, it is necessary to determine the strain of the virus - some types of HPV are oncogenic.
After knowing what warts look like in the photo, you should consider another type of common growth - papilloma.They are small soft balls on stalks, which clearly rise above the entire epidermis.
Characteristics of papillomas:
- small size;
- slight pigmentation;
- soft homogeneous structure;
- no discomfort during palpation.
The thin stalk provides nutrition to the papilloma body.The blood supply to the growth is provided by capillaries, so if the leg is damaged, bleeding begins.In normal conditions, papillomas do not hurt or cause discomfort, but when compressed with cloth, shoelaces or other clothing, papillomas can become inflamed.It causes pain.Damage to the papilloma is potentially dangerous, so it is better to remove it in time.Depending on the strain of the virus that causes the formation of growths, papillomas can degenerate into malignant neoplasms.To be fair, it should be said that this happens very rarely, no more than 4% of cases.
Papilloma localization: back, armpit, inguinal fold, neck, but can also appear in other parts of the body.
Flat warts in the photo
A flat wart is a formation on the skin that is 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 that are mostly yellowish in color.They resemble small plaques or bumps on the skin and are almost invisible.The surface of the flat wart is smooth and shiny.
This type of growth is safe.Flat warts do not hurt or cause discomfort, they are difficult to damage 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 older people, the formation of keratoma is often accompanied by pigmentation disorders in other parts of the body.
Keratomas are small, dark, irregular spots with an upper layer of keratin.The surface is uneven, hard to touch and peeling.Even so, keratoma is not dangerous.They do not hurt or cause discomfort.Basically, this is a small area of the skin where pigmentation is affected and the keratinization process is enhanced.
Symptoms of filamentous warts
Filiform warts usually affect delicate skin areas.
Filiform warts are small, oval-shaped growths on the skin.It occurs in places with thin and sensitive skin, especially on the neck, around the mammary glands, and in the armpits.Filiform warts look like stalks of papillomas without a rounded body on top.They are rarely pigmented and often do not differ in color from the rest of the epidermis.The size of the growth does not exceed a few millimeters in length and diameter.
Such growth appears 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 condyloma?
Condylomas are located on mucous membranes - in the mouth, on the genitals.
Condylomas are small growths of epithelial cells that are too large.The main feature is the papillary structure.Condylomas occur on 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 condyloma is sexually transmitted.
Condylomas can appear either singly or in groups.In the second case, they gradually grow together, forming a large growth, shaped like a nest, broccoli or cauliflower.Their structure is heterogeneous, their color is pink or light brown.
Genital warts are very dangerous.They grow quickly and can affect the urethra and cervix.Condylomas on the cervix are potentially dangerous, as their cells quickly degenerate into malignant neoplasms.
Plantar warts
Plantar warts cause significant discomfort when walking.
Plantar warts, or plantar warts, are a special type of growth that exclusively affects the feet.Externally, they look like small calluses with keratinized skin around them.The color is usually yellowish white.The peculiarity of the spine is that it grows quickly and hurts when walking.This is due to the fact that the roots are located deep under the skin and irritate the surrounding tissue when walking, squeezing it.
Spine is equally common in adults and children.They grow quickly, so they need timely identification and removal.Plantar warts practically do not rise above the healthy epidermis, representing small plaques of keratin 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 wart removal methods aim to destroy it.
What exactly is the root of the wart depends on the type of growth.In vulgar warts, condylomas and papillomas, the roots are not visible externally, because they are located under the skin.Roots are proliferations of epidermal cells that extend far below the skin and include small capillary channels through which blood supply to the growth and growth is ensured.
The roots of warts and papillomas practically replicate the visible part of the neoplasm, but are located deep under the skin, so it is impossible to see them.
How the roots of warts look depends on the size of the growing root system.Moreover, the larger the papilloma itself, the larger the root.The only root you can see for yourself is the base of the spine.It is a light compaction around the growth.If the spine is large, the roots become darker, which is noticeable.
How to avoid mistakes with diagnosis?
Only a doctor can correctly diagnose the type of formation.
After knowing what warts appear on the body 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 the photo, it is important to undergo tests to identify the strain of the virus and its activity.This will allow you to make a treatment regimen correctly so that warts do not appear again 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 several benign skin growths appearing on different parts of the body.