A verruca, or commonly called a wart is usually a small and rough tumor typically found on the feet and hands. Many times they are found on other places of the body. They usually tend to look like a solid blister or a cauliflower. Warts are very common and come from a viral infection, specifically the HPV (human popillomavirus). They are contagious and possible to get from using items that have been used and touched by an infected person.
There are nearly 100 strains of the HPV virus. Warts are identified by their shape, their location as well as which type of HPV is involved. The common wart is raised with a rough surface and usually found on the hands and knees. A flat wart is small, smooth and flat and can occur in larger numbers; commonly found on the face, neck, wrists, knees and neck. The digitate wart is finger-like and found around the lips and eyelids. Mosaic warts are clustered together and found on the hands or soles of the feet. A planter wart is often painful with sometimes a black dot in the middle; typically found on soles of the feet. Genital warts are found on the genitalia.
Warts will usually disappear within a few months but can sometimes last for many years and recur. Even without roots, warts can be very hard to get rid of. Some people get warts more easily than others and are more common in children. Warts do not leave scars, though some will take some a harsher therapy or treatment. Treatments for warts can be very simple or very powerful. The options doctors have to treat warts include surgery, chemicals, lasers and chemotherapy to remove wars. Freezing is the most common treatment, especially for smaller warts.