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PLANTAR WARTS

Plantar warts occur on the sole (plantar surface) of the foot as well as the heel. The warts are usually rough, bumpy, and spongy, although some may be thick and scaly. Most are gray or brown and have a center with one or more dark pinpoints. These are tiny capillaries that supply blood to the wart.

There can be a single wart or one surrounded by smaller ones.  A mosaic wart appears as granular calluses that are grouped in a mosaic pattern.

The wart on the surface is a small fraction of the entire anomaly. The portion of the wart under the skin is at least twice as big as the part you can see.

Other names or similar foot conditions:

• Some times calluses develop over the wart
• Mother-daughter, satellite or mosaic warts
• Most common mimicking conditions include psoriasis, calluses, and foreign body under the skin

Symptoms:

• Pain in the wart area upon weight bearing
• Side to side pressure more tender than direct pressure

Signs to look for:

• A gray or brown spot on the sole of the foot with a center that has one or more dark pinpoints
• Pain at the wart site upon touch and upon weight bearing
• Mother-daughter – one main wart with small “satellite warts” surrounding it
• Mosaic - granular calluses that are grouped in a mosaic pattern

Possible Causes:

• The human pappiloma virus (HPV), a common organism, causes warts
• The virus is often encountered on contaminated surfaces, typically the tile floors of public locker rooms, showers, and swimming pools and invades the body through tiny cuts or breaks in the skin

Goals: