Warts : common and frustrating

Abstract

Warts or Verrucae commonly affect people of all age groups, both sexes and of any ethnic background. They are the bane of the busy doctor's practice, in that something apparently simple and straightforward can be virtually impossible to treat. Conversely, the successful eradication of warts in one part of the body can sooner or later be followed by their reappearance elsewhere, to the discomfort of the patient and the frustration of the practitioner. It is not surprising, therefore, that warts have been variously described as a devil's curse, a sign of evil spirits possessing the patient, a disease due to contact with toadstools, toads, bats and animals. In some areas such as the Congo Basin, warts are regarded as evidence of special healing powers, while in more so-called advanced countries the failure to treat patients of warts results in some very uncomplimentary comments about the Medical Profession.