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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Common warts are:
- Small, fleshy, grainy bumps
- Flesh-colored, white, pink or tan
- Rough to the touch
Common warts usually occur on your hands. They may occur singly or in multiples. Warts may bleed if picked or cut and often contain one or more tiny black dots, which are sometimes called wart "seeds" but are actually small, clotted blood vessels.
Other locations for warts
Other types of HPV tend to cause warts in other places:
- Plantar warts. These occur on the plantar surfaces, or soles, of your feet. They usually look like flesh-colored or light brown lumps with tiny black dots in them. These dots are small, clotted blood vessels.
- Genital warts. A sexually transmitted infection, genital warts can appear on your genitals, in your pubic area or in your anal canal. In women, genital warts can also grow inside the vagina.
- Flat warts. These smaller warts generally occur on your face or legs. They're usually smoother than other types of warts.
When to see a doctor
Most common warts don't require medical treatment, but some people choose to have their warts treated because they're bothersome, spreading or a cosmetic concern. Most warts disappear on their own or with home care. Prompt treatment by a doctor or dermatologist, however, may decrease the chance that the warts will spread to other areas of your body or to other people.
If warts persist after home treatment, see your doctor. Also visit your doctor if your warts are bothersome, painful or rapidly multiplying.
- Warts. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_warts.html. Accessed. Dec. 28, 2009.
- Androphy EJ, et al. Warts. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2958209. Accessed Dec. 28, 2009.
- Warts. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec10/ch122/ch122c.html. Accessed Dec. 26, 2009.
- Goldstein BG, et al. Cutaneous warts. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 28, 2009.
- Berger TG. Dermatologic disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2010. 49th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=747. Accessed Dec. 28, 2009.
- Dehghani F, et al. Healing effect of garlic extract on warts and corns. International Journal of Dermatology. 2005;44:612.
- Egawa K, et al. Topical vitamin D3 derivatives for recalcitrant warts in three immunocompromised patients. British Journal of Dermatology. 2004;150:367.
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