At least five types are potentially oncogenic, with two implicated in cervical carcinoma and three in squamous cell carcinoma. Warts can be transmitted by direct contact or by autoinoculation. Young people have a high frequency of warts. Healing can occur spontaneously, presumably through immunologic mechanisms. Approximately two-thirds of warts disappear spontaneously within 2 years of their appearance, but if they are left untreated, additional warts may develop from the human papilloma virus, papiloma.
Clinical presentations vary according to site and viral strain involved.
Treatment should not be so aggressive as to produce permanent scarring. Simple and safe treatments should be employed. Location, discomfort, cosmetic effect, and therapies available influence the decision to treat. Freezing the lesion with cotton-swab application of liquid nitrogen is convenient, well tolerated, often effective, and associated with a low risk of serious scarring. Solid freezing of the lesion is usually achieved by 5 to 10 minutes of repeated application of the liquid nitrogen from a cotton swab dipped into a Styrofoam cup containing the supercold liquid.