Papilloma on a child’s toe: causes and treatment

1. Causes of papillomas on a child’s toe
2. What does it look like
3. Treatment methods
   1. Medicines
   2. Folk remedies
   3. Removal
4. Prevention of papillomas on the fingers

Papilloma on a child’s toe is a formation that can cause significant discomfort to the baby. The manifestation of such a pathology already indicates a weakened immune system of the child, and therefore requires special attention from parents. The disease can become more complicated if an active baby accidentally injures a formation on the finger and introduces an infection. Such scenarios are dangerous due to inflammatory processes and even the degeneration of a benign formation. To prevent the development of such a situation, parents need to be very attentive to any changes in the baby’s condition, be able to distinguish the onset of papilloma formation, and take timely measures to eliminate the external and internal manifestations of the virus that causes them.

Causes of papillomas on a child’s toe

Papillomas on the toes in children are caused by the human papillomavirus, which becomes active during periods of weakened immunity. Pathogenic microorganisms reach a child through close contact with an HPV carrier, and the person may not even be aware of his disease. Infection is also possible at home, in public places (swimming pools, baths).

Viral microorganisms penetrate the body even through microcracks, not to mention abrasions and large scratches. It is quite natural that an active child can be infected with HPV, which is localized specifically on the legs and toes, places that are especially susceptible to bruises while playing outside.

However, papillomas will not begin to appear immediately. A child’s healthy body is quite capable of suppressing the proliferation of viral cells. As soon as the protective functions of the body weaken, this pathology will immediately begin to manifest itself.

Papillomas on a child's toe may also develop under the influence of the following factors:

1. tight, ill-fitting shoes;
2. poor hygiene of feet and shoes;
3. increased sweating of the feet;
4. scratches, cuts on legs.

As a rule, papillomas on a child’s toes will cause discomfort to the baby. Parents should pay close attention to his complaint of inconvenience, because the fastest way will be to treat the disease in the early stages.

1. Read also what tests you need to take for papillomas

What does papilloma on the toe look like in children?

Photos of papillomas on children's toes

To identify papillomas on a child’s toe, you need to carefully examine the baby. At the beginning of the development of the disease, a small compaction appears on the skin, which parents often confuse with a corn, a callus formed.

Such self-diagnosis leads to incorrect treatment, or even a completely destructive effect on the tumor. The color of the callus, as well as the emerging viral formation, can be yellowish or white-gray. But the nature of such structures, and accordingly the treatment methods, are completely different.

In order to distinguish calluses from papillomas on a child’s toe at home, photos alone are not enough. You can steam your legs and assess the condition of the formation. A corn is a structure of dead tissue, while papilloma is destructive epithelial cells, the development of which is provoked by the human papilloma virus. After steaming, the structure of the callus will become loose, and the papilloma will not change its density. In some cases, after steaming, black dots of papilloma will become noticeable. And yet, such diagnostic methods do not provide comprehensive information about the child’s health status.

Papilloma on a child’s toe, a photo of which is easy to find on the Internet, as a pathological formation provokes redness of the skin around it. Other symptoms that make it possible to determine its development include:

1. pain when pressed;
2. flat structure;
3. black dots inside the formation, which is a sign of blood supply to papilloma.

1. Read also about the symptoms and types of papillomas on the legs in children

Methods for treating papillomas on a child’s toe

In order to begin adequate treatment, it is best to consult a doctor. The doctor will prescribe tests - general blood and urine tests, PCR to determine the human papillomavirus, the child may even be sent for an ultrasound to determine the depth of the formation. Based on the results of the tests and examination, a therapeutic course will be prescribed, which in the case of HPV includes both drug and surgical treatment. Medicines suppress the development of the virus in the child’s body and prevent further growth of papillomas on the toes of children, and destruction allows you to get rid of already formed manifestations of the disease. Thus, an integrated approach will allow you to forget about the problem for a long time.

Medicines for papillomas on the toes in children

The photo shows drugs for the treatment of papillomas on the toes of a child

Not all medications can be used for the external destruction of papillomas on the toes in children. Before starting treatment, you should consult your doctor.

In most cases, the following are prescribed:

1. Viferon-ointment. Prescribed for patients aged 1 year and older. Analogues of the ointment are the expensive drugs Alfa-Inzon, Alfarekin, Bioferon. Viferon has an affordable price, but is no less effective. In Ukraine, an ointment to combat papillomas on a child’s toes can be purchased for 185 hryvnia, and in Russia - for 211 rubles (12 g tube).
2. Salipod in the form of a patch. It is attached to the formation and removed after a day or two. The active substance of the patch softens the epithelium, destructive cells are removed with nail scissors. The patch costs only 74 Russian rubles (in Ukraine the price is 21 hryvnia), but several procedures may be required.
3. Tea tree essential oil. The product in 100% concentration is applied several times a day to the growth; it can be used by children over 10 years of age. The oil can be bought at any pharmacy at an affordable price - 52 Ukrainian hryvnia, 102 Russian rubles.
4. Balm “Mountain Celandine”. The drug based on plant extracts is used for children over 5 years of age. Despite the low cost (10 hryvnia in Ukraine, 59 rubles in Russia), the product is very effective; papilloma on a child’s toe goes away quite quickly. When using the balm, you must be very careful; apply the substance only to the growth.

Folk remedies against papillomas on a child’s toe

Photo of crushed garlic for papillomas on children's toes

In some cases, parents prefer to remove papillomas on a child’s toe (photos of such formations are easy to find on the Internet) using folk recipes. It is strongly recommended that you take such actions after consulting with your doctor.

The following are recognized as the most effective traditional medicine recipes:

1. Apply fresh celandine juice several times a day to the growth until it is completely removed.
2. Compresses from grated raw potatoes - keep overnight, repeat until the problem is solved.
3. Instead of grated potatoes, you can also use cut root peels.
4. Compress crushed garlic at night.

1. Read more about treating foot warts at home with folk remedies

Removal of papillomas on the toe in children

Since papilloma on the toe in children is easily injured, it must be removed. And if conservative methods do not help, you will have to use aggressive methods:

1. Cryodestruction. Removal with liquid nitrogen is almost painless, and after 2 weeks a person will completely forget about the formation. The price for the procedure is reasonable - from 150 hryvnia per session (360 Russian rubles), several sessions may be required for complete cleansing.
2. Laser removal. The modern method of destruction requires local anesthesia, so it is not suitable for everyone. The price for the procedure is within 1300 hryvnia for Ukraine, 2900 rubles for Russia.
3. Radio wave operation. Innovative technology removes papilloma on a child's toe using high-frequency waves. The destruction happens quickly enough that the baby doesn’t even have time to get scared. The price for an operation in Ukraine starts from 1200 hryvnia, and in Russia - from 3000 rubles.
4. Removal by electric current. Today it is used quite rarely in relation to children, due to the pain. At the same time, the procedure is suitable for many families due to its pricing policy (250 hryvnia for removing a papilloma on a child’s toe in Ukraine, 590 rubles in Russia).
5. Surgical method. It is used extremely rarely for formations of particularly large sizes or when malignancy of the structure is suspected. The price of surgical intervention is calculated individually in each specific case.

After surgical destruction, a protracted rehabilitation process begins, including not only antiseptic treatment of the wound, but also the use of antiviral drugs. Medicines are prescribed by a doctor individually, based on the child’s health condition.

1. Read also how a wound heals after wart removal

Prevention of papillomas on a child’s toes

While it is quite difficult to prevent the virus from entering a child’s body, parents can prevent its activation at a young age. To do this, it is enough to follow a set of simple preventive measures, the main one of which is maintaining a high level of child immunity. After all, in a healthy body, the virus is not able to provoke the destructive development of epithelial cells.

Papilloma on a child’s toe will also not appear if:

1. choose high-quality, comfortable shoes for your child;
2. keep your baby’s feet clean and teach him to practice self-hygiene;
3. take measures to reduce foot sweating;
4. when visiting public swimming pools and gyms, use only personal belongings;
5. Treat colds in a timely manner, regularly visit your pediatrician for preventive consultations.

If, nevertheless, it was not possible to prevent the appearance of papilloma on the toe of children, before consulting a doctor, it is necessary to take measures so that the child does not accidentally injure the formation. And after destruction, adhere to the same preventive measures, which in this case will prevent relapse.

1. Read also about the route of infection with papillomavirus on the foot

What are warts and papillomas in children - watch the video:

Having discovered a papilloma on a child’s toe, parents should not panic prematurely. Such formation, of course, requires attention and, undoubtedly, treatment, but the methods of modern medicine can quickly and effectively eliminate the uncomfortable structure in the baby. In the future, it will be necessary to make efforts to maintain a high level of the child’s immunity so that the disease does not manifest itself again.

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