Differential diagnosis

There are several conditions that share features with warts or verrucae. Those below are among the most common or significant.

 

Common warts

• Seborrhoeic warts: similar in appearance to common warts but brown in colour, and occurring mainly on the back and chest. They are benign and occur increasingly with increasing age. Their cause is not fully understood, but they appear to be a degenerative condition.

• Skin tags: benign, flesh-coloured or dark brown, flat or stalk-like papillomas, occurring mainly on the neck.

• Basal and squamous cell carcinomas: malignant growths with a wart-like appearance in the early stages, usually occurring in areas of skin exposed to the sun. Referral is necessary if suspected.

Verrucas

• Conditions with similar features include corns and plantar callus (a hardened or thickened area of skin on the sole of the foot).