What Are Periungual Warts?
Periungual warts (periumchelic warts) are small round bumps on the skin. They occur mostly on your hands and feet but they may appear anywhere on your body. These warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a virus that can cause various types of cancer, including cervical cancer.
The warts usually go away within 2 years without treatment. However, if left untreated, they can become very painful and even life threatening.
If you have been diagnosed with HPV or any other type of cancer, it is important to get tested for these viruses so that you can take steps to avoid getting them again.
How Do Periungual Warts Spread?
Periungual warts are spread when someone comes into contact with infected skin cells. This means that you cannot catch periungual warts from kissing someone else or sharing towels or bed sheets. Also, it does not mean that you have to come in direct contact with the wart itself; just touching it will make you susceptible to catching them.
It is estimated that only 0.1% of people have periungual warts at any given time.
This means that the risk of catching them is extremely low.
What Are The Symptoms Of Periungual Warts?
While some people may not experience any symptoms, most will notice a hard and painless bump on the skin. Typically, this bump is red or white and may resemble a blister or a pimple.
The warts may also cause bleeding when you are doing routine tasks like shaving or cutting your nails.
What Are The Possible Complications Of Periungual Warts?
Periungual warts may result in pain and discomfort, but they are rarely life-threatening. It is also important to know that having warts on the palms of your hands makes it more likely that you will develop an HPV infection in your genitals.
How Are Periungual Warts Diagnosed?
A doctor can easily identify periungual warts by examining your skin. A blood test may also be used to detect the virus but it is not necessary unless you are showing signs of an HPV infection in the genitals.
How Are Periungual Warts Treated?
If you have periungual warts, it is important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Since the warts are caused by a virus, treatment will involve immunotherapy with various antiviral drugs. The most common treatment involves applying podofilox solution twice a day for two days or until the wart disappears. More serious cases may be treated with laser surgery.
Most of the time, periungual warts clear up completely with proper treatment. However, it may take as long as six months before all signs of the warts disappear.
If you don’t see signs of improvement within this time period, please talk to your doctor about your treatment options.
The most important thing to remember is that if you have periungual warts, it is very important for you to not touch or scratch the affected area. Since the virus is very contagious, it is also important that you wash your hands after touching the wart as well.
If you have been diagnosed with periungual warts, please talk to your doctor about ways in which you can lower your risk of getting these warts again in the future. You will probably be advised to apply an antiviral cream or ointment to the surrounding skin to kill off any other wart virus that might still be lingering on your body.
Since it is possible for warts to spread even after they have been removed, it is also important that you inform your doctor if you have warts anywhere else on your body.
How To Prevent Periungual Warts
Although there is no sure way of preventing periungual warts, there are several habits that you can get into that will lower your risk of catching the virus and spreading it to other people. The first thing you can do is make sure to always wash your hands with hot water and soap after you have been in contact with someone who has periungual warts.
You should also make sure to carefully wash any utensils that the person with the warts has come into contact with. This will help to prevent you from spreading the virus to other parts of your body.
Finally, if you do develop warts anywhere on your body, it is important to see a doctor and get treatment as soon as possible. Usually, periungual warts are not harmful, but if you develop warts elsewhere on your body, there is a greater risk that they will be problematic or even possibly life-threatening.
What Is The Long-Term Outlook For Periungual Warts?
Periungual warts have a high rate of infection and recurrence, especially if they are not treated promptly. If you have warts on your hands or fingers, you can expect the virus to remain in the surrounding skin for many years to come. Even if all signs of a wart disappear, it could still return in the future. If you notice any signs of a wart recurring, you should seek medical attention right away.
Also, if you have periungual warts, there is a high chance that the virus has spread to the area surrounding the wart. A blood test can be used to detect the virus in your blood stream.
Although the virus cannot be treated with traditional drugs, antiviral medication can still be utilized to slow down the spread of the virus.
Will Periungual Warts Affect The Health Of Other Parts Of My Body?
Although periungual warts themselves are not life-threatening, it is important to keep your body free of the virus. As mentioned previously, a blood test can be used to detect the presence of the virus in your blood. This is an indication that other parts of your body may be vulnerable to the spread of the virus.
If this is the case, it might be a good idea to get tested for other sexually transmitted diseases. It is important to take care of your body and to keep it free of any viruses that could potentially make you sick.
It is also possible for viruses in other parts of your body to spread and affect the health of your hands or feet. For example, if you have a wart virus in your liver, it is possible that your hands or feet could be negatively affected.
Make sure to get regular check-ups with your doctor if you have any concerns about the health of your hands or feet.
Can I Sue Someone For Getting Periungual Warts?
If you can prove that another person is at fault for passing the wart virus to you, then you might have a case. The person who gave the virus to you might have breached a contract, committed battery, or even assault. In any case, you should hire a personal injury lawyer to help you seek legal action.
Can I Sue My Doctor If I Get Periungual Warts After A Visit To Her?
In some cases, it is possible to seek legal action against a doctor if they fail to catch a medical issue during an office visit. If this is the case, then you should seek legal help right away. It is also a good idea to get a second opinion from another doctor or medical professional to confirm your suspicions.
How Can I Prevent Periungual Warts?
The best way you can prevent periungual warts is to avoid people who have them.
Sources & references used in this article:
Imiquimod for plantar and periungual warts by JD Sparling, SR Checketts… – CUTIS-NEW …, 2001 – mdedge-files-live.s3.us-east-2 …
Successful treatment of periungual warts with topical cidofovir by L Padilla Espana, J Del Boz… – Dermatologic …, 2014 – Wiley Online Library
Warts of the nail unit: surgical and nonsurgical approaches by A Tosti, BM Piraccini – Dermatologic Surgery, 2001 – Wiley Online Library
