Warts

Verruca vulgaris is the fancy medical term for common warts.  And common they are, even in children, and usually found on the bottoms of feet or around the fingernail beds.  Sometimes parents find it difficult to distinguish a wart from a callus.  A wart is characterized by tiny dark specks on it, which are really thrombosed capillaries.  As with many things in medicine, warts are virally induced, and as it turns out, there is no great therapy for them.  A friend of mine showed me her daughter's warts the other day, and I told her she could try an over-the-counter preparation with salicylic acid.  If warts on the bottom of feet start to bother the child, I do recommend a visit to a podiatrist or dermatologist for liquid nitrogen or laser therapy.  But without any treatment, warts can disappear on their own, whether it be next week or next year.  In many cases, I end up telling parents just to wait the warts out; sometimes patience really is the best medicine.