Techniques & Services
Plantar Warts Treatment at Central City Podiatry
The plantar warts are skin lesion that presents on the sole or toes of the foot due to a viral infection. The lesions are usually self-limiting but treatment is often indicated.
Although plantar warts can appear at any age, the peak incidence is from 12-16 years, with a prevalence of approximately 70% in school aged children. The condition is less common in early childhood and prevalence declines after 20 years. Approximately 10% of the general population will have foot warts.
Causes and Contributing Factors
Plantar warts are caused by a viral infection with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Different strains of HPV show predilection for certain areas of the body – HPV 1,2, and 4 commonly present on the feet, becoming known as ‘plantar warts’. The virus is transmitted via direct contact normally through moist surfaces such as public swimming pools or bathrooms. Inoculation of the virus is facilitated via compromised skin where the virus enters and incubates for weeks to months.
Symptoms
A visible lesion resembling a cauliflower arrangement is usually seen on the plantar surface of the foot. Pain is often felt with pressure on the lesion and overlying thick callus build-up can be found around the lesion. Diagnosis is typically made by recognizing pain with a ‘side-to-side’ compression of the lesion, interruption of normal skin lines through the wart tissue and pinpoint bleeding when the lesion is pared down.
Treatment
This condition typically requires the individual to build the immune response to fight off the viral infection; however this is often not satisfactory and plantar warts treatment becomes necessary.
Treatment options at Central City Podiatry include:
- No treatment – up to 70% of plantar warts spontaneously resolve within 2 years if left untreated. Generally the younger the client the faster the resolution.
- Destruction of the wart tissue with acidic agents such as liquid nitrogen, salicylic acid or silver nitrate which aim to destroy the wart tissue rather than the HPV itself. These treatments often require repeated treatment over a few weeks.
- Multi-vitamins to boost the immune response
- Surgery
- Preventative measures
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