Plantar Warts (Verrucae Pedis)

What are Plantar Warts?

Commonly known as plantar wars, Veruccae Pedis are noncancerous skin growths that that appear on the plantar areas of your feet, especially on weight-bearing areas. It is caused by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Generally, warts will go away on their own in time, however plantar warts often require intervention as they can be very painful.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Warts are often a raised or flat growth with a rough surface. It can appear like in a shape like a cauliflower and can be painful when walking. There are often black dots within the lesion. Warts often also have over lying hard skin (callus) and they can grow to 1.5cm in diameter and can even spread into a cluster of warts. Whilst the diagnosis is usually apparent, sometimes, warts can be confused with a number of other skin lesions such as corns or foreign bodies.

Why do I have them?

Plantar warts are commonly seen in children and are often caused by an open area (usually from trauma) which has been exposed to the infection/virus. HPV thrives in warm, moist environments such as shoes, swimming poos, changing room floors and bathrooms. If you have been previously exposed to the virus they can surface when you have a weakened immune system due to medications or illness.

How can I treat my wart or warts?

The way to treat your warts in to visit your podiatrist and let them assess you and formulate a treatment plan which will suite you and your lifestyle. The podiatrist will usually remove as much of the dead skin around the wart by debridement. They will often then use a mild acid or silver nitrate to destroy the infected cells as well as provide education to prevent reoccurrence.