Abstract

Yash Srivastav*, Nutan Shrivastava, Madhaw Kumar, Nikita Sharma, Mohammad Aqil Siddiqui, Jyotsana Shrivastava

ABSTRACT

The word "warts" refers to all morphological types of warts and can also be used to refer to lesions that resemble warts but are not brought on by HPV infection, such as seborrheic keratoses or seborrheic "warts." Only HPV-related warts are covered by the term "warts" in this guideline. Giuseppe Ciuffo, a physician, was the first to show that warts are caused by a viral infection in 1907. Harald zur Hausen, a virologist, was the first to identify the human papillomavirus (HPV) as the cause of warts in 1976. His ongoing studies produced the data required to create an HPV vaccination, which was initially made accessible in 2006. Based on their anatomy or morphology, HPV-associated warts are classified as (i) common warts (Verruca vulgaris), (ii) plantar warts (Verruca plantaris), (iii) flat or plane warts (Verruca plana), and (iv) vaginal warts (Condyloma accuminatum). Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections of keratinocytes, the main cell type in the epidermis, result in warts. A noticeable wart develops weeks or even months after infection at the basal layer and clonal growth, which is followed by the formation of epidermal thickening and hyperkeratinization. There are more than 150 distinct genotypic forms of HPV, which are categorised according to specific viral DNA variations. Most frequent warts are caused by HPV types 1, 2, 4, 27, or 57, while HPV types 3 or 10 generate plane warts. In addition to being found on the skin, the HPV types that were first discovered in epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) and their closely related genotypes can also cause premalignant dysplasias and squamous cell carcinoma, particularly when immunosuppression is present. Warts are common among people all over the world. Approximately 7–12% of the population is thought to be affected by warts, while the exact prevalence is unknown. The incidence in school-age children is between 10 and 20 per cent. Meat handlers and immunocompromised patients also exhibit a higher incidence. It covers the pathophysiology, aetiology, diagnosis, treatment, and hazards associated with warts.