Warts and Verrucas & Corns and Calluses Flashcards
What causes warts and verrucas?
human papilloma virus (HPV)
What are symptoms of warts and verrucas?
Raised lesions with a roughened surface Plantar warts (verrucas) occur on the weight-bearing areas of the sole and heel.
Warts have a network of capillaries and these may be visible as black dots
When do symptoms disappear?
naturally within 6 months to 2 years
Where are warts normally found?
hands, fingers, knees either single or in crops
Where are verrucas found?
soles of the feet, weight bearing areas
When to refer?
- Facial warts
- Change in appearance (size&colour) of a wart - may suggest skin cancer
- Bleeding
- Itching
- Genital warts
- Immunocompromised pts
- No significant improvement within 3 months of OTC tx
- Diabetics
What are tx options for warts and verrucas?
- Salicylic acid softens and destroys skin, therefore aiding the removal of infected tissue
- Lactic acid is an antimicrobial keratolytic that enhances availability of salicylic acid - Cryotherapy OTC products have little evidence supporting their use but can be tried and the wart should come away in about 10 days
- Duct tape is comparable to OTC cryotherapy in effectiveness
- Glutaraldehyde
What counselling points can be given so that treatment works more effectively?
Soak the affected hand or foot in warm water for 5-10 minutes
Remove dead skin with the use of a pumice stone or emery board
Avoid transferring infection by exposing others to the skin of the infected site
What salicylic acid preps have age restrictions and what are they?
Compound W = >6 years
Bazuka Extra Strength = >2 years
What salicylic acid and lactic acid preps have age restrictions and what are they?
Bazuka >2 years
Duofilm >2 years
Name other salicylic acid preps.
Occlusal
Verrugon
Wartex
Name other salicylic acid and lactic acid preps
- Cuplex
- Salactol
- Salatac
What is the OTC name for glutaldehyde?
Glutarol
What are the main side effects of the wart and verruca preparation?
Local irritation
How can you differentiate from a corn or verruca?
remove the top layer of the skin - if black spots are visible this is a verruca, if not, thi indicates a corn
What is the length of the tx?
usually 3mnths -slow process
Whats the difference between bazuka and bazuka extra?
extra has a high content of salicylic acid but doesn’t mean its more efficacious
Which pts should you NOT recommended treatment?
diabetics
How do corns and calluses form?
friction and intermittent pressure against one of the boney prominences of the feet - causing hyperkeratoses (excessive skin growth of the shoe and the foot)
What are clinical features of corns?
Central core of hard grey skin surrounded by a painful, raised, yellow ring of inflammatory skin
What are clinical features of calluses?
flattened, yellow-white thickened skin
burning sensation, resulting from fissuring of the callus
What tx options is offered for the removal of corns and calluses?
metatarsal pads relieves weight off the callus and so reduce stress on the plantar skin
or same meds for warts and verrucas
