VIRAL INFECTIONS

Warts
Molluscum contagiosum
Herpes simplex/ zoster
Warts
Syn. Verrucae
 Causative organism – HPV a DNA virus which infects
both keratinising and non keratinising surface of skin

 Source of infection – other infected individuals.

 It has very low infectivity so a casual contact is not
sufficient.

 The virus enters into the skin through minor or

microscopic injuries.

 The number of warts may vary from 1 to 100.

 Depressed immunity due to immunosuppressive drugs,
hodgkins disease, leukaemia pts are likely to have large
no. of warts.

 Common sites – hands, fingers, around nails, feet

 Pathology – mainly involves the epidermis, causing

acanthosis.
 Types –
◦ Common warts (Verruca Vulgaris)

◦ Plain warts (Verruca Plana)

◦ Filiform warts

◦ Plantar warts

◦ Genital warts (Condyloma Acuminata)

 Common warts (Verruca Vulgaris)

 Firm skin colour papules of various sizes with

verrucous surface.

 Can occur on any part of the body but most commonly

found on dorsum of the hand and fingers.
 Plain warts (Verruca Plana)

 These are also present on dorsum of hand or face of

children

 It presents as skin colour, slightly raised, flat topped

papules.
 Filiform warts (antennae)

 Are finger like projections with irregular surface and

usually seen on neck face and scalp.

 These need to be differentiated from skin tags which

have smooth surface with narrow base only found on
neck axillae and groins.
 Plantar warts
 Found on any part of the sole.

 Skin coloured well defined areas with irregular surface.

 It is separated from the surrounding skin of sole with a

clear cut margin.

 It should not be confused with a corn which has smooth

surface and is continuous with surrounding skin
 Genital warts (Condyloma Acuminata)

 These are usually ST

 Present as fungating masses of verrucous tissue on

glans penis, mucosal surface of prepuce in males and
on vulva and vaginal openings in females.

 These can also be found around the anus

 Due to the moist area of genitals these tend to grow
faster than other varieties

 They need to be differentiated from condylomata of

secondary syphilis.
 Sometimes warts disappear without any treatment
 Effective hom drugs

◦ Ant c, bar c, calc, caust, dulc, lyc, med, nat m, nit ac, sil, staph,
sulph, thuja

Thuja is very useful in all types of warts. It is

being used locally in mother tincture form
 Ruta is very useful in flat smooth warts with soreness
like palmar and plantar warts.

 Calc for warts on face

 Caust for any type of warts esp on fingers.

 Ant crud in horny warts

 Dulc in large fleshy round painless.

 Acid nit. Is for painful large jagged warts that bleed

easily.

 Staph is for dry pedunculated or cauliflower like warts

on genitals.