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Warts
What is A Wart
A wart is a small growth on the skin that develops when the skin is infected by a virus. Warts can develop anywhere in the foot, but typically appear on the bottom of the foot. Plantar warts are most common in children, adolescents and elderly.
There are two types of plantar warts:
- Solitary wart- a single wart that can increase in size and multiply
- Mosaic warts- a cluster of several small warts growing closely together in one area. Mosaic warts are more difficult to treat than solitary warts
Symptoms
- Thickened skin
- Pain- when walking or pressure is applied to the wart and surrounding skin
- Small black dots within the wart- these are small capillaries (blood vessels) that are dried up
Diagnosis
To diagnose a plantar wart, the foot and ankle surgeon will examine the patient’s foot and look for signs and symptoms of a wart. A biopsy can be taken and examined to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment
Non-surgical
- Oral or topical medication
- Laser therapy
- Chemical cauterization
Surgical
In cases where non-surgical approaches fail to eradicate the wart, surgical excision can be done. Along with surgical excision of the wart, electrocautery or laser can be used to ensure full eradication of the wart.