Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
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Warts
Description
- Warts are raised, round, rough-surfaced growths on the
skin.
- They occur most often on the hands.
- They are not painful unless they are on the bottom of the
foot (called plantar warts).
- Unlike a callus, a wart has brown dots in it and has a
clear boundary with the normal skin.
Cause
Warts are caused by papillomaviruses.
Expected Course
Warts are harmless. Most warts disappear without treatment
in 2 or 3 years. With treatment they are usually gone in 2
to 3 months.
Home Treatment
- Wart-removing acids
Ask your pharmacist to recommend an over-the-counter
acid for removing warts.
Put the acid on the wart once a day, enough to cover the
entire wart. The acid will work faster if you cover the
wart with adhesive tape or duct tape after you put the
acid on the wart. Keep the lid on the acid container
closed tightly so the acid won't evaporate. Make sure
that you don't get any of the acid near the eyes or
mouth.
The acid will turn the top of the wart into dead skin
(it will all turn white). Once or twice a week, remove
the dead wart material by paring it down with a razor
blade. If that is hard for you to do, rub the dead
skin off with a washcloth instead. The dead wart will
be softer and easier to remove if you soak the area
first in warm water for 10 minutes. If the cutting
causes any pain or minor bleeding, you have cut into
living wart tissue.
- Cover the wart
Cover the wart with a piece of adhesive tape or duct
tape. Warts deprived of air and sun exposure sometimes
die without the need for treatment with acids. Remove
the tape once a week and wash the skin. After it has
dried thoroughly, reapply the tape. The tape treatment
may be needed for 8 weeks.
- Contagiousness
Encourage your child not to pick at the warts because
this may cause the warts to spread. If your child chews
or sucks the wart, cover the area with a Band-Aid and
change it daily. Encourage your child to give up this
habit because chewing on warts can cause warts on the
lips or face. Warts are not very contagious to other
people.
Call Your Child's Physician During Office Hours If:
- Warts develop on the feet, genitals, or face.
- New warts develop after 2 weeks of treatment.
- The warts are still present after 8 weeks of treatment.
- You have other concerns or questions.
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Written by B.D. Schmitt, M.D., author of "Your Child's Health," Bantam Books.
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Copyright 1999 Clinical Reference Systems
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