Your GP will be able to diagnose the type of wart that you have based on:
- the appearance of your wart
- where it is positioned on your body
- the effect it has had on the surrounding skin
Due to their distinctive appearance, warts and verrucas are usually easy to identify through a visual examination of the affected area. Your GP will consider the following when they examine your wart:
- the number of warts you have
- where they are located on your body
- the size of the wart
- the shape of the wart
- the colour of the wart
- the texture of the wart’s surface
Your GP may gently cut away the surface of the wart to reveal a small black dot in the centre. If this is present, it will confirm that you have a verruca (plantar wart).
If you have a partner, your GP may ask you whether they also have warts, or whether any other members of your family have them.
Ruling out other conditions
By carrying out a thorough examination of your wart, your GP will also be able to consider any other possible causes and rule out any underlying conditions. Some of these are outlined below.
- Corns and calluses: areas of thick, dry skin that are often yellow in appearance and caused by excessive pressure or friction.
- Skin tag: a skin-coloured, benign (non-cancerous) growth of skin that usually develops on the neck, armpit and torso (upper body). Skin tags are usually painless.
- Molluscum contagiosum: a contagious skin infection that is caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus. It produces small, firm, raised spots on the skin.
- Moles: small, dark marks on your skin that can be flat or raised, smooth or rough. They may sometimes look similar to a cluster of filiform warts.
- Seborrhoeic keratosis: common, benign skin lesions that are usually brown or black in colour.
- Solar keratosis: scaly, rough spots that appear on skin that has been damaged by the sun.
- Squamous cell carcinoma: a common type of skin cancer that appears as crusted lumps that are tender and slow-growing. It is very rare for existing warts to develop into a type of cancer, but the possibility will need to be ruled out.
Referral to a specialist
If your GP is concerned about your wart after carrying out an examination, they may refer you to a skin specialist (dermatologist) who will be able to assess your wart and confirm a diagnosis. However, in most cases, referral to a dermatologist is not necessary.
