What is it?
Commonly known as plantar warts, Veruccae Pedis are noncancerous skin growths that usually appear on the heels or other weight-bearing areas of your feet. The condition is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
What are the symptoms?
- A raised or flat growth with a rough surface often with small black dots in it
- Pain when pressure is applied to the wart by either walking or squeezing the sides
Why did I get it?
Plantar warts are commonly seen in children and can be caused by:
- Trauma induced exposure to the infection
- Direct contact with virus
- HPV thrives in warm, moist environments such as; footwear, swimming pools, changing room floors and bathrooms
How is it diagnosed?
Unlike the usual shape of a wart, being that of a raised dome, plantar warts are usually flattened due to their location as they are pushed through the skin due to the amount of pressure of everyday activity.
They are often distinct and there is usually overlying callous. A plantar wart will sometimes grow to 1.5cms in diameter and even spread to form a cluster of wart tissue.
The diagnosis is usually apparent, however can be confused with a number of other skin lesions such as corns or foreign bodies.
How can I treat it?
The quickest path to being pain free is to pay a visit to your Podiatrist for them to help you develop a treatment plan.
Below are some treatment strategies which may be implemented by your Podiatrist:
- Removing as much of the dead skin surrounding the lesion as possible and letting the thrombosed vessels bleed to reduce the blood supply to the lesion
- Application of a caustic agent with the aim of destroying the viral affected tissue
- Cryotherapy (freezing)
- Surgery
Ready to permanently resolve your plantar wart?
Book your appointment with one of our podiatrists now!
