Plantar Warts - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Plantar warts are found on the soles of the feet. Because of their location, they can become extremely painful. Large numbers of plantar warts on the foot may cause difficulty when running and even walking.

Causes of Plantar Warts

Since plantar warts are caused by a virus, they are slightly contagious (can spread from person to person). You should not share clothing or linen with someone who has plantar warts. Plantar warts may spread on the body and seed other areas.
Plantar warts should be treated because they are contagious and rarely a plantar wart left untreated for

A wart is a harmless skin growth caused by some types of the virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 known types of HPV. HPV infects the top layer of skin, usually entering the body in an area of broken skin. The virus causes the top layer of skin to grow rapidly, forming a wart. Most warts go away on their own within months or years.

The human papilloma virus (HPV) causes plantar warts. The virus attacks the skin through direct contact. Normally, antibodies in the blood kill the virus. Some people are more susceptible to the human papilloma virus than others.

Symptoms of Plantar Warts

Small, fleshy, grainy bumps on the soles of your feet

Hard, flat growths with a rough surface and well-defined boundaries

Gray or brown lumps with one or more black pinpoints.

Plantar warts may cause pain on the bottom of the foot. Patients often feel a "lump" on the bottom of the foot when standing, similar to having a stone in the shoe. In many cases, pressure from standing and walking prevents plantar warts from rising above the skin surface.

If left untreated, plantar warts can grow up to 1 inch in circumference and may spread into clusters (called mosaic warts). In severe cases, they cause a change in gait or posture that results in leg or back pain.

Diagnosis of Plantar Warts

A plantar wart is a small lesion that appears on the sole of the foot and typically resembles a cauliflower, with tiny black petechiae (abnormal, thrombosed capillaries resembling specks) in the center. Pinpoint bleeding may occur when these are scratched, and they may be painful when standing or walking.

Treatment of Plantar Warts

Although plantar warts may eventually disappear by themselves, you should seek treatment if they are painful. Your physician will carefully trim the wart and apply a chemically treated dressing. The physician will also give you instructions for self-care. Salicylic acid patches, applied on a daily basis, and good foot hygiene, including regular use of a pumice stone, are often all that is needed. However, it may take several weeks for the wart to disappear completely.

If the patient cannot comply with the protocol, simple acid application followed by occlusive taping for several days is occasionally effective. Several brands of salicylic acid pads are available as over-the-counter remedies.
Oral therapy: One study showed improvement of plantar warts with the addition of zinc sulphate (10 mg/kg/d, maximum 600 mg).

However, two studies showed no significant difference between the 17% salicylic acid compound and cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen alone or used together with salicylic acid. The studies' cure rates were 76% and 84% with salicylic acid. For complete eradication of warts, daily application of salicylic acid is required for two to three months. Cryotherapy may be effective with one or a few treatments, but requires visits to the physician's office.