Verruca Plana
What is Verruca Plana?
These are more commonly known as flat warts and usually are painless and harmless. Although they can be found on persons of all ages, race, and gender these types of wars are more prevalent among children and teenagers which is why some also refer to them as juvenile warts. The reason that you see them more frequently in children and adolescents is that their immune systems are still developing and are not as effective at suppressing the virus that causes verruca plana. They get their name because the tops of these warts are flat and smoother to the touch than many other warts.
Although they can appear on any part of your body they are most commonly found on your forehead and face. It is less common to find them on the tops of your feet, on your shins, or back of your hands. Verruca plana is contagious and can be transmitted by person-to-person contact. Although it is rare they can be spread by touching an object that was touched by the infected person. They can also be transmitted to other parts of your body by shaving and scratching. They are not dangerous as they are benign growths and the biggest problem that people have with these types of warts is that they are embarrassed by them.
Verruca Plana Symptoms
Sometimes it can take up to twelve months for verruca plana to grow where they are a visible size so it is possible for you not to be aware that you have them. If you start to see warts on your forehead or face there are no particular symptoms that can indicate that they are verruca plana but there are some characteristics of this particular wart that may help you distinguish what type of warts you have. Some of these characteristics can include:
- They can range in color from flesh colored to pink, yellow, or light brown.
- Verruca plana are about the size of a pinhead, approximately five millimeters in diameter
- There can be as many as a hundred of them in one location and it rare to find one alone.
- They can appear in a cluster or a line
Verruca Plana Causes
As with all warts they are caused by viruses but the virus that causes verruca plana are called human papillomavirus (HPV). At this time there have been more than a hundred strains identified that can cause this type of wart but the main causes of verruca plana are from the human papillomavirus strains 3, 10, 49, and 28. In order for these viral particles to grow they locations must be moist and warm, which is why they grow on mucosal surfaces and your skin. After finding a suitable location they invade the outer layer of your skin and begin to grow, develop and proliferate.
Verruca Plana Treatment
Although verruca plana are normally benign you should still have them checked out by your dermatologist to make sure that the possibility of a more serious skin condition is ruled out. Because verruca plana grow in areas that are prone to re-infection and grow in multiples, they can be difficult to treat. To get rid of verruca plana the dermatologist will usually not suggest aggressive treatment to get rid of these warts because they are not dangerous and do not represent any reason to be concerned. The reason is that they will most likely go away on their own in approximately twenty-four months. To help decrease the amount of time it takes for them to heal the dermatologist may suggest that they try an over-the-counter topical cream to help irritate and erode the skin that is affected. The cream that they use should have salicylic acid listed as one of the ingredients. When using this cream you need to make sure that you do not get it on the skin surrounding the verruca plana because it can irritate the skin. You also need to make sure that you are using this treatment on a daily basis.
If you have recurring or persistent warts your dermatologist may prescribe a high-strength ointment that contains the ingredient retinoic acid. The dermatologist may also use a cream that makes your immune system destroy the warts called imiquimod. One home remedy that seems to work for unknown reasons is to apply duct tape to the are areas of your skin that are affected by the warts and left on for a few days so make sure that the duct tape is very sticky. If it appears to irritate your skin or the child’s skin discontinue using it. If possible soak the areas where the verruca plana are located with warm water every day and when you see any loose skin you should remove it with a mild abrasive. One type of mild abrasive is a pumice stone.
Verruca Plana Pictures
Pictures collection of Verruca Plana…
Verruca Plana Removal
Verruca plana can be removed using cryotherapy, which is a technique that involves using extremely low temperatures to destroy the abnormally growing cells so they do not reproduce. Usually with this method the dermatologist will use liquid nitrogen. Many times a dermatologist will try to discourage you from using any surgical procedure to remove verruca plana, especially if they are on your face. The reason is that the scarring that can come from these surgical treatments can last longer than the verruca plana would. Another surgical treatment they might use would be electrocautery, which is burning them with an electric needle. They may also use a laser to disrupt the blood supply that is going to the verruca plana or pulsed laser beams that will burn and kill the warts causing them to just simply drop off
