Warts

WARTS are common skin tumors caused by a papovavirus,¹which occur in approximately 7% to 10% of the population.²The highest frequency is in the early teens; however, warts may occur at any age. Proper management of warts in office practice depends on three basic principles: (1) Correct diagnosis, (2) natural history, and (3) familiarity with different treatments. Although most warts are easily recognized, occasionally more serious conditions, such as squamous cell carcinomas and deep fungal infections, can be mistaken for the common wart. They are benign lesions (with the possible rare exception of a giant condyloma acuminatum³), and most will eventually resolve spontaneously. A therapy may be well suited for one particular clinical type of wart, and yet be ineffective or inferior to other modalities in the treatment of other types of warts. This discussion is concerned first with the multiplicity of forms the wart may