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Plane warts

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • flesh coloured or pigmented, well-defined, very slightly raised, flat-topped lesions
  • the surface of a plane wart is smooth or very slightly roughened
  • plane warts may occur anywhere but especially occur on the hands, limbs and face
  • plane warts may be misdiagnosed, especially on the face, where they are liable to be treated with topical steroids, in which case they spread
  • they may exhibit the Koebner phenomenon - occur in lines corresponding to scratch or other such trauma

Management:

  • seek expert advice
  • do not respond well to topical preparations
  • in general, eventually disappear spontaneously and lesions on the limbs are often best ignored
  • facial lesions may be treated with topical freezing techniques such as liquid nitrogen (used by an experienced practitioner for a short exposure). Salicylic acid (cream) and curettage and light cautery are other options (1)
  • post-inflammatory pigmentation may occur in patients with pigmented skin and may take months to resolve

Reference:


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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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