Warts

Warts are rough bumps on the skin caused by a virus called human papilloma virus, or HPV.

The technical name for warts is verruca vulgaris. Warts appear in areas of skin that grow faster than normal due to HPV. Warts can spread, and some people can more easily get them. There is no cure for the HPV virus. Most people naturally fight off the virus within 2 to 3 years of getting a wart, but warts can come back. Warts on the hands can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but they are not cancerous.

Symptoms

Warts can be very itchy, can bleed if irritated, and the skin around them can become uncomfortable. Warts on fingers are sometimes confused with other problems such as fluid-filled sacs, called cysts, or bone spurs from arthritis.

Treatment

A primary care physician or dermatologist is often the first physician to treat warts. There are many different treatment options. While it is very rare, it is important to know that a perceived wart that does not respond to regular treatment can be a sign of a developing skin cancer lesion.

Treatments include simple solutions such as placing duct tape over the wart after rubbing it with a pumice stone. Other methods may include applying salicylic acid or liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart. If these methods do not work, a chemical called cantharidin may be used. Surgical excision or biopsy might be indicated for warts that do not go away or are in areas that are hard to treat with other methods.

This mobile-friendly version is adapted from patient education content originally provided by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.