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Warts and verrucae - Management
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How should I diagnose warts and verrucae?
- Warts are diagnosed from their typical appearance.
- Common warts: firm and raised with a rough surface that resembles a cauliflower (common on knuckles, knees, and fingers).
- Plane warts: round, flat topped, and yellow (common on the backs of hands).
- Filiform warts: long and slender (common on the face and neck).
- Plantar warts (verrucae): grow on the soles of the feet; they often have black dots in the centre and may be painful.
- Mosaic warts occur when palmar or plantar warts coalesce into larger plaques on the hands and feet.
- For images, see www.dermis.net images on verruca vulgaris.
Basis for recommendation
This information is from guidelines developed by the British Association of Dermatology [Sterling et al, 2001] and the Health Protection Agency [HPA, 2008], and is based on expert opinion.
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