Cutaneous warts in community practice

Case scenario

Fernando, a 16-year-old student, walks into your pharmacy concerned about a rough, painful lesion on the bottom of his foot. He informs you that he has been picking at it, as it has been bothering him, to the point that he is now limping and avoiding sports (football and swimming). He has not tried any treatments, but he has ‘Googled’ it.

On examination, you notice a thickened and tender lesion with black dots on the surface. He is not taking any regular medicines and is otherwise healthy.

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Introduction

A cutaneous wart is a common, viral skin growth caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They are typically classified based on their location on the body and their structure.¹ Warts are generally classified as^1,2:

• Cutaneous warts – including common, flat, mosaic, plantar and palmar variants
• Anogenital warts – typically linked to HPV subtypes 6 and 11
• Other – including oral, laryngeal, conjunctival and nasal warts.