Verrucare Information

What are they? Are also known as warts. These are the result of viral infection that often manifest on the feet of children and adults. Although they can appear anywhere on the skin.

What causes verrucae? Verrucae pedis is causesby the Papovavirus, any virus in the families Papillomaviridae and Polyomaviridae this thrives in the presence of moisture and damp. It is primarily transmitted in  communal  areas- swimming pools, showers and other forms of though direct contact. It can be contracted through micro-injuries to the skin and makes the foot vulnerable to infection during barefoot activities, especially after excessive skin moisture as a result of swimming, showering or perspiration.

What to look for? Verrucae are raised skin lesions often hosted inbetween the dermal lines of the skin. Their appearance may be white or brownish in colour with a rough crumbly surface, sometimes covered by a layer of hard skin. They can arise anywhere in the foot and can progressively increase in size.

Are they painful? Verrucae can sometimes be painful, especially if these are present in weight bearing areas.

Will they clear up? Verrucae have a variable outcome. Some are slf limiting and resolve with little or not treatment, other verrucae are recalcitrant and require extensive podiatric treatment for several months, the factors influencing the outcome are driven by the type of virus, the location, the size and the hosts immunity.

What you can do? To  aid in the prevention of contracting a verrucae it is important to avoid walking barefoot in communal areas.

If a verrucae develops cover it up with a plaster.

If a verrucae does not cause pain or discomfort and it is not increasing in size, it may be best to leave it as it may resolve spontaneously unasissted. However, avoid communical bathing areas until it resolves. The verrucae should be checked to ascertain diagnosis and ensure it is not another type of skin lesion.

Treatment- A verrucae that becomes symptomatic and pain is elicited when it is squeezed or it has spread Ishould be seen by a Podiatrist. Generally,  the  longer  a verruca is present in adults the longer it will take to resolve the problem. There are a number of treatment options available- a sequential approach is followed.

In some instance verrucaes can be resistant and recalcitrant, thus, it is not possible to guarantee it will clear. The treatment can be unpleasant dur to post procedure pain and inability to wash dressed treatment sites.

A risk of disruption to sports schedule and ulceration of the treatment site is possible as the treatment consists of burning the affected skin site with cold and chemicals, so please  do not be  alarmed  if  this  manifests, the ulcerations often heal uneventfully but can cause discomfort/pain.