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Warts are typically small, rough, hard growths that are similar in color to the rest of the skin. They typically do not result in other symptoms, except when on the bottom of the feet, where they may be painful. While they usually occur on the hands and feet, they can also affect other locations. One or many warts may appear. They are not cancerous. Warts are caused by infection with a type of human papillomavirus (HPV). Factors that increase the risk include use of public showers and pools, working with meat, eczema and a weak immune system. The virus is believed to enter the body through skin that has been damaged slightly. A number of types exist, including "common warts",
plantar warts A plantar wart, or verruca vulgaris, is a wart occurring on the bottom of the foot or toes. Its color is typically similar to that of the skin. Small black dots often occur on the surface. One or more may occur in an area. They may result in pain ...
, " filiform warts", and genital warts. Genital warts are often
sexually transmitted Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral sex ...
. Without treatment, most types of warts resolve in months to years. A number of treatments may speed resolution, including
salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...
applied to the skin and cryotherapy. In those who are otherwise healthy, they do not typically result in significant problems. Treatment of genital warts differs from that of other types. Warts are very common, with most people being infected at some point in their lives. The estimated current rate of non-genital warts among the general population is 1–13%. They are more common among young people. Prior to widespread adoption of the
HPV vaccine Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines that prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Available HPV vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against at least HP ...
, the estimated rate of genital warts in sexually active women was 12%. Warts have been described at least as far back as 400 BC by Hippocrates.


Types

A range of types of wart have been identified, varying in shape and site affected, as well as the type of human papillomavirus involved. These include: * Common wart (''verruca vulgaris''), a raised wart with roughened surface, most common on hands, but can grow anywhere on the body. Sometimes known as a Palmer wart or Junior wart. *
Flat wart Flat warts, technically known as Verruca plana, are reddish-brown or flesh-colored, slightly raised, flat-surfaced, well-demarcated papule of 2 to 5 mm in diameter. Upon close inspection, these lesions have a surface that is "finely verrucou ...
(''verruca plana''), a small, smooth flattened wart, flesh-coloured, which can occur in large numbers; most common on the face, neck, hands, wrists and knees. * Filiform or
digitate wart Digitate or filiform warts are warts that often appear on the eyelids, lips, face, or neck. The warts tend to grow directly outwards from the skin. They have a spiky, thread-like or finger-like appearance. They sometimes look and feel like tiny br ...
, a thread- or finger-like wart, most common on the face, especially near the eyelids and lips. * Genital wart (venereal wart, ''condyloma acuminatum'', ''verruca acuminata''), a wart that occurs on the genitalia. *
Periungual wart Periungual warts are warts that cluster around the fingernail or toenail. They appear as thickened, fissured cauliflower-like skin around the nail plate. Periungual warts often cause loss of the cuticle and paronychia. Nail biting increases sus ...
, a cauliflower-like cluster of warts that occurs around the nails. * Plantar wart (''verruca'', ''verruca plantaris''), a hard, sometimes painful lump, often with multiple black specks in the center; usually only found on
pressure points derive from the supposed meridian points in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Siddha medicine, and martial arts. They refer to areas on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific ...
on the soles of the feet. * Mosaic wart, a group of tightly clustered plantar-type warts, commonly on the hands or soles of the feet.


Cause

Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). There are about 130 known types of human papilloma viruses. HPV infects the squamous epithelium, usually of the skin or genitals, but each HPV type is typically only able to infect a few specific areas on the body. Many HPV types can produce a benign growth, often called a "wart" or "papilloma", in the area they infect. Many of the more common HPV and wart types are listed below. * Common warts – HPV types 2 and 4 (most common); also types 1, 3, 26, 29, and 57 and others. * Cancers and genital dysplasia – "high-risk" HPV types are associated with cancers, notably
cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...
, and can also cause some vulvar,
vaginal In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hyme ...
,
penile A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males do ...
, anal and some oropharyngeal cancers. "Low-risk" types are associated with warts or other conditions. ** High-risk: 16, 18 (cause the most cervical cancer); also 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 52, 58, 59, and others. * Plantar warts (verruca) – HPV type 1 (most common); also types 2, 3, 4, 27, 28, and 58 and others. *
Anogenital warts Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). They are generally pink in color and project out from the surface of the skin. Usually they cause few symptoms, but can occasionally be pa ...
(condylomata acuminata or venereal warts) – HPV types 6 and 11 (most common); also types 42, 44 and others. ** Low-risk: 6, 11 (most common); also 13, 44, 40, 43, 42, 54, 61, 72, 81, 89, and others. * ''
Verruca plana Flat warts, technically known as Verruca plana, are reddish-brown or flesh-colored, slightly raised, flat-surfaced, well-demarcated papule of 2 to 5 mm in diameter. Upon close inspection, these lesions have a surface that is "finely verrucou ...
'' (flat warts) – HPV types 3, 10, and 28. *
Butcher's wart Butcher's wart is a wart on the hands of butchers. They tend to occur in multiple numbers. These warts are generally larger than common warts. It is typically associated with HPV2, 4 and 7; up to 50% by HPV7. It occurs when hands have had prolon ...
s – HPV type 7. * Heck's disease (focal epithelial hyperplasia) – HPV types 13 and 32.


Pathophysiology

Common warts have a characteristic appearance under the microscope. They have thickening of the
stratum corneum The stratum corneum (Latin for 'horny layer') is the outermost layer of the epidermis. The human stratum corneum comprises several levels of flattened corneocytes that are divided into two layers: the ''stratum disjunctum'' and ''stratum compact ...
(hyperkeratosis), thickening of the stratum spinosum (acanthosis), thickening of the stratum granulosum, rete ridge elongation, and large blood vessels at the dermoepidermal junction.


Diagnosis

On dermatoscopic examination, warts will commonly have fingerlike or knoblike extensions.


Prevention

Gardasil 6 is an
HPV vaccine Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines that prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Available HPV vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against at least HP ...
aimed at preventing cervical cancers and genital warts. Gardasil is designed to prevent infection with HPV types 16, 18, 6, and 11. HPV types 16 and 18 currently cause about 70% of
cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...
cases, and also cause some vulvar,
vaginal In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hyme ...
,
penile A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males do ...
and anal cancers. HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for 90% of documented cases of genital warts. Gardasil 9, approved in 2014 protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. HPV vaccines do not currently protect against the virus strains responsible for plantar warts (verrucae).


Disinfection

The virus is relatively hardy and immune to many common disinfectants. Exposure to 90% ethanol for at least 1 minute, 2% glutaraldehyde, 30% Savlon, and/or 1% sodium hypochlorite can disinfect the pathogen.Human Papillomavirus
. Public Health Agency of Canada
The virus is resistant to drying and heat, but killed by and ultraviolet radiation.


Treatment

There are many treatments and procedures associated with wart removal. A review of various skin wart treatments concluded that topical treatments containing
salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...
were more effective than placebo. Cryotherapy appears to be as effective as salicylic acid, but there have been fewer trials.


Medication

*
Salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...
can be prescribed by a dermatologist in a higher concentration than that found in over-the-counter products. Several over-the-counter products are readily available at pharmacies and supermarkets of roughly two types: adhesive pads treated with salicylic acid, and bottled concentrated salicylic acid and lactic acid solution. * Fluorouracil — Fluorouracil cream, a chemotherapy agent sometimes used to treat skin cancer, can be used on particularly resistant warts, by blocking
viral Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). Viral may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...
DNA and
RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...
production and repair. *
Imiquimod Imiquimod, sold under the brand name Aldara among others, is a medication that acts as an immune response modifier that is used to treat genital warts, superficial basal cell carcinoma, and actinic keratosis. Scientists at 3M's pharmaceuticals ...
is a
topical cream A topical medication is a medication that is applied to a particular place on or in the body. Most often topical medication means application to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes to treat ailments via a large range of classes ...
that helps the body's immune system fight the wart virus by encouraging
interferon Interferons (IFNs, ) are a group of signaling proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of several viruses. In a typical scenario, a virus-infected cell will release interferons causing nearby cells to heighten the ...
production. It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for genital warts. * Cantharidin, found naturally in the bodies of many members of the beetle family Meloidae, causes dermal blistering. It is used either by itself or compounded with
podophyllin Podophyllum resin, also known as podophyllum or podophyllin, is a resin made from the roots of the American mandrake. It is used as a medication to treat genital warts and plantar warts, including in people with HIV/AIDS. It is not recommended i ...
. Not FDA approved, but available through Canada or select US compounding pharmacies. * Bleomycin — A more potent chemotherapy drug, can be injected into deep warts, destroying the viral DNA or RNA. Bleomycin is notably not US
FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...
approved for this purpose. Possible side effects include
necrosis Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated dige ...
of the digits, nail loss and
Raynaud syndrome Raynaud syndrome, also known as Raynaud's phenomenon, eponymously named after the physician Auguste Gabriel Maurice Raynaud, who first described it in his doctoral thesis in 1862, is a medical condition in which the spasm of small arteries cau ...
. The usual treatment is one or two injections. *
Dinitrochlorobenzene 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) is an organic compound with the chemical formula (O2N)2C6H3Cl. It is a yellow solid that is soluble in organic solvents. It is an important intermediate for the industrial production of other compounds. DNCB is p ...
(DNCB), like
salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...
, is applied directly to the wart. Studies show this method is effective with a cure rate of 80%. But DNCB must be used much more cautiously than salicylic acid; the chemical is known to cause genetic mutations, so it must be administered by a physician. This drug induces an allergic immune response, resulting in inflammation that wards off the wart-causing virus. * Cidofovir is an
antiviral drug Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do n ...
which is injected into HPV lesions within the
larynx The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal inlet is about ...
(
laryngeal papillomatosis Laryngeal papillomatosis, also known as recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) or glottal papillomatosis, is a rare medical condition in which benign tumors (papilloma) form along the aerodigestive tract. There are two variants based on the ag ...
) as an
experimental treatment An experimental drug is a medicinal product (a drug or vaccine) that has not yet received approval from governmental regulatory authorities for routine use in human or veterinary medicine. A medicinal product may be approved for use in one disease ...
. * Verrutop verruca treatment is a topical solution made from a combination of organic acids,
inorganic acids A mineral acid (or inorganic acid) is an acid derived from one or more inorganic compounds, as opposed to organic acids which are acidic, organic compounds. All mineral acids form hydrogen ions and the conjugate base when dissolved in water. Char ...
, and
metal ions A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
. This solution causes the production of nitrites, which act to denature
viral proteins A viral protein is both a component and a product of a virus. Viral proteins are grouped according to their functions, and groups of viral proteins include structural proteins, nonstructural proteins, regulatory proteins, and accessory proteins. V ...
and mummify the wart tissue. The difference between Verrutop and other acid treatments is that it does not damage the surrounding skin. * Another product available over-the-counter that can aid in wart removal is silver nitrate in the form of a caustic pencil, which is also available at drug stores. In a placebo-controlled study of 70 patients, silver nitrate given over nine days resulted in clearance of all warts in 43% and improvement in warts in 26% one month after treatment compared to 11% and 14%, respectively, in the placebo group. The instructions must be followed to minimize staining of skin and clothing. Occasionally, pigmented scars may develop. * Trichloroacetic acid can be used to treat warts if salicylic acid or cryotherapy fail or are not available. It requires repeat treatments every week or so. Side effects are burning and stinging. Image:Wart ASA animated.gif, Two
viral Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). Viral may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...
warts on a middle finger, being treated with a mixture of acids (like salicylic acid) to remove them. A white precipitate forms on the area where the product was applied. File:A Throat After CO2 Laser Treatment of HPV6 Throat Papiloma (Warts).jpg, Throat warts before and after carbon dioxide laser treatment.


Procedures

* Keratolysis, of dead surface
skin cells Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
usually using
salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...
, blistering agents, immune system modifiers ("
immunomodulators Immunotherapy or biological therapy is the treatment of disease by activating or suppressing the immune system. Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as ''activation immunotherapies,'' while immunotherap ...
"), or formaldehyde, often with mechanical paring of the wart with a pumice stone, blade etc. * Electrodesiccation * Cryosurgery or cryotherapy, which involves freezing the wart (generally with
liquid nitrogen Liquid nitrogen—LN2—is nitrogen in a liquid state at low temperature. Liquid nitrogen has a boiling point of about . It is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. It is a colorless, low viscosity liquid that is wide ...
), creating a blister between the wart and epidermal layer after which the wart and the surrounding dead skin fall off. An average of 3 to 4 treatments are required for warts on thin skin. Warts on calloused skin like plantar warts might take dozens or more treatments. * Surgical curettage of the wart * Laser treatment – often with a
pulse dye laser A dye laser is a laser that uses an organic dye as the lasing medium, usually as a liquid solution. Compared to gases and most solid state lasing media, a dye can usually be used for a much wider range of wavelengths, often spanning 50 to 100 na ...
or carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. Pulse dye lasers (wavelength 582 nm) work by selective absorption by blood cells (specifically hemoglobin). CO2 lasers work by selective absorption by water molecules. Pulse dye lasers are less destructive and more likely to heal without scarring. CO2 laser works by vaporizing and destroying tissue and skin. Laser treatments can be painful, expensive (though covered by many insurance plans), and not extensively scarring when used appropriately. CO2 lasers will require
local anaesthetic A local anesthetic (LA) is a medication that causes absence of pain sensation. In the context of surgery, a local anesthetic creates an absence of pain in a specific location of the body without a loss of consciousness, as opposed to a general an ...
. Pulse dye laser treatment does not need conscious sedation or local anesthetic. It takes 2 to 4 treatments, but can be many more for extreme cases. Typically, 10–14 days are required between treatments. Preventative measures are important. * Infrared coagulator – an intense source of infrared light in a small beam like a laser. This works essentially on the same principle as laser treatment. It is less expensive. Like the laser, it can cause blistering, pain and scarring. * Intralesional immunotherapy with purified candida, MMR, and tuberculin (PPD) protein appears safe and effective. *
Duct tape occlusion therapy Duct tape occlusion therapy (DTOT) is a method of treating warts by covering them with duct tape for prolonged periods. The manner in which duct tape appears to work is unclear. The tape might create a macerating and keratolytic environment, stimul ...
involves placing a piece of duct tape over the wart. The mechanism of action of this technique still remains unknown. Despite several trials, evidence for the
efficacy Efficacy is the ability to perform a task to a satisfactory or expected degree. The word comes from the same roots as ''effectiveness'', and it has often been used synonymously, although in pharmacology a pragmatic clinical trial#Efficacy versu ...
of duct tape therapy is inconclusive. Despite the mixed evidence for efficacy, the simplicity of the method and its limited side-effects leads some researchers to be reluctant to dismiss it. * No intervention. Spontaneous resolution within a few years can be recommended.


Alternative medicine

Daily application of the latex of Chelidonium majus is a traditional treatment. The acrid yellow sap of Greater Celandine is used as a traditional wart remedy. According to English folk belief, touching toads causes warts; according to a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
belief, touching a toad under a full moon cures warts. The most common
Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
toads have glands that protrude from their skin that superficially resemble warts. Warts are caused by a virus, and toads do not harbor it. A variety of traditional
folk remedies Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...
and rituals claim to be able to remove warts. In '' The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'',
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...
has his characters discuss a variety of such remedies. Tom Sawyer proposes "spunk-water" (or "stump-water", the water collecting in the hollow of a tree stump) as a remedy for warts on the hand. You put your hand into the water at midnight and say: You then "walk away quick, eleven steps, with your eyes shut, and then turn around three times and walk home without speaking to anybody. Because if you speak the charm's busted." This is given as an example to Huckleberry Finn's planned remedy, which involves throwing a dead cat into a graveyard as a devil or devils comes to collect a recently buried wicked person. Another remedy involved splitting a bean, drawing blood from the wart and putting it on one of the halves, and burying that half at a
crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
at midnight. The theory of operation is that the blood on the buried bean will draw away the wart. Twain is recognized as an early collector and recorder of genuine American folklore. Similar practices are recorded elsewhere. In Louisiana, one remedy for warts involves rubbing the wart with a potato, which is then buried; when the "buried potato dries up, the wart will be cured". Another remedy similar to Twain's is reported from Northern Ireland, where water from a specific well on
Rathlin Island Rathlin Island ( ga, Reachlainn, ; Local Irish dialect: ''Reachraidh'', ; Scots: ''Racherie'') is an island and civil parish off the coast of County Antrim (of which it is part) in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's northernmost point. ...
is credited with the power to cure warts.


History

Surviving ancient medical texts show that warts were a documented disease since at least the time of Hippocrates, who lived – . In the book ''De Medecia'' by the Roman physician Aulus Cornelius Celsus, who lived – , different types of warts were described. Celsus described ''myrmecia'', today recognized as plantar wart, and categorized acrochordon (a skin tag) as wart. In the 13th century, warts were described in books published by the surgeons
William of Saliceto William of Salicet (1210–1277) (Italian: ''Guglielmo da Saliceto'';Plinio Prioreschi ''A History of Medicine: Medieval Medicine'' 1996 - Page 453 "Guglielmo da Saliceto" French: ''Guillaume de Salicet''; Latin: ''Guilielmus de Salicetum'') was a ...
and Lanfranc of Milan. The word ''
verruca A plantar wart, or verruca vulgaris, is a wart occurring on the bottom of the foot or toes. Its color is typically similar to that of the skin. Small black dots often occur on the surface. One or more may occur in an area. They may result in pain ...
'' to describe a wart was introduced by the physician Daniel Sennert, who described warts in his 1636 book ''Hypomnemata physicae''. But the cause of warts was disputed in the medical profession. In the early 18th century the physician Daniel Turner, who published the first book on dermatology, suggested that warts were caused by damaged
nerve A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system. A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the e ...
s close to the skin. In the mid 18th century, the surgeon John Hunter popularized the belief that warts were caused by a bacterial
syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...
infection. The surgeon Benjamin Bell documented that warts were caused by a disease entirely unrelated to syphilis, and established a causal link between warts and cancer. In the 19th century, the chief physician of Verona hospital established a link between warts and
cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...
. But in 1874 it was noted by the dermatologist Ferdinand Ritter von Hebra that while various theories were advanced by the medical profession, the "influences causing warts are still very obscure". In 1907 the physician Giuseppe Ciuffo was the first to demonstrate that warts were caused by a virus infection. In 1976 the virologist
Harald zur Hausen Harald zur Hausen NAS EASA APS (; born 11 March 1936) is a German virologist and professor emeritus. He has done research on cervical cancer and discovered the role of papilloma viruses in cervical cancer, for which he received the Nobe ...
was the first to discover that warts were caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). His continuous research established the evidence necessary to develop a
HPV vaccine Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines that prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Available HPV vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against at least HP ...
, which first became available in 2006.


Other animals


References


External links


Wart photo library
, Dermnet {{Authority control Papillomavirus-associated diseases Virus-related cutaneous conditions Cutaneous conditions Viral diseases Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate Wikipedia emergency medicine articles ready to translate