A wart is a small growth on the skin that develops when the skin is infected by a virus. Warts can develop anywhere on the foot, but typically they appear on the bottom (plantar side) of the foot. Plantar warts most commonly occur in children, adolescents, and the elderly.
Plantar warts are caused by direct contact with the human papilloma virus (HPV). This is the same virus that causes warts on other areas of the body
Plantar warts grow deep into the skin. Usually this growth occurs slowly, with the wart starting small and becoming larger over time. Warts may cause considerable pain with walking or standing.
Treatment may consist of topical treatments, such as acid compounds. Warts may also be surgically excised or burned. A novel approach that we employ in our practice is cryotherapy (freezing) with CryoPen, which is noninvasive and effective treatment for eradicating warts. It does not require the use of local anesthesia, and takes 3-5 minutes to complete.
