Spica is a skin disease caused by a viral infection. Most often, a spine appears on a child’s leg: on the foot, fingers. The growth causes discomfort and pain when moving. Despite this, the wart is often ignored, believing that it can go away on its own. In fact, it is very difficult to get rid of the spine. When the top of the growth is cut off, its lower part continues to grow and cause discomfort.
A baby’s spine is a reason to immediately seek help from a specialist for treatment.
Specifics of manifestation of growth in children
The papilloma virus is considered an infectious disease. It causes the growth of spines. The source of infection can only be a person who is a carrier of this virus.
Important!
Its infection is possible in two ways. One of them is vertical, in which transmission occurs from mother to child. The second is contact-household, in which the virus is transmitted through common objects used in everyday life (hygiene products, bedding, shoes). Children also often become infected in baths, swimming pools and saunas. This disease is quite common in childhood.
This is due to the following reasons:
- In children, the immune system is less developed than in adults;
- children more often receive microtraumas to the skin of the extremities;
- they are characterized by frequent formation of abrasions;
- they have a thin epidermis, through which viruses penetrate more easily.
Atopic dermatitis, which often occurs in children, makes it easier for the virus to penetrate all layers of the skin. Often, as a child grows, his body's defenses become stronger, and this formation can go away without treatment. Up to two thirds of all spines in childhood pass in this way. Also read how to trim a plantar wart in a child, symptoms and treatment.
Prevention of infection
To avoid the appearance of spines on your feet, you need to remember the rules of hygiene. The following recommendations will help with this:
Prevention of spines in a child involves hygiene, healthy eating, and strengthening the immune system.
- Do not walk barefoot in swimming pools, bathhouses, or on beaches.
- Don't wear other people's shoes. If this happens, you need to wash things thoroughly.
- Walk only in comfortable and appropriately sized shoes.
- Proper nutrition.
- Keep shoes and feet clean.
- Strengthen immunity. Eliminate the reasons that reduce it.
- Try to avoid injury to the skin.
Spine in a child is a serious problem. You shouldn’t wait until the wart goes away on its own, but take action right away. It must be remembered that thorny is a benign neoplasm, which in rare cases can progress and develop into a malignant tumor. In addition, this growth causes a lot of inconvenience and pain, which ruin a person’s life.
How to recognize a neoplasm?
This formation has characteristic features. You can suspect it if the child complains of pain when walking, since the cone growing deep into the skin injures and pinches the nerve endings. The spine is localized only on the soles, fingers, palms in the spaces between the fingers.
Its size can be up to two centimeters. A child's education grows very quickly. It looks like a small whitish-grayish lump covered with scales. It has a conical shape and grows into the thickness of the epidermis, with its apex inward.
When the skin is steamed and the scales are removed, a surface covered with small papillae and black dots is exposed. These are capillaries that have become clogged.
If you examine the growth through a magnifying glass, thread-like inclusions are found. Often a group of spines is formed. The main formation is located in the center and is larger than the others. It's called maternal.
Important!
If such a formation appears in a place other than the feet and hands, it is not a spine.
Why does the spine appear?
Many people may not immediately realize that those thorn-like discomforts in their feet are actually caused by an illness, since an obvious plantar wart may not appear immediately. As a rule, a spine is initially confused with a callus. Warts can appear in other places on the body, but most often they appear on the feet.
A callus is a viral neoplasm; unlike a callus, it is very painful. This growth usually does not exceed 2 cm in size, its shape is round or oval, and the entire affected area of the skin becomes very painful. In general, this small area on the foot immediately becomes clearly defined; upon palpation, you can notice that the skin here is denser. The color of the spine varies from yellowish to serous, with black or brown dots appearing in the center. These are capillaries that are already clogged. After taking a bath, you can carefully examine such a growth, since growths in the form of threads inside will become noticeable.
Such growths appear due to the fact that the human papillomavirus is active in the body. Pathogenic cells are activated when there are malfunctions in the immune system. There is a particularly high risk of developing spines on the soles of children with any skin defects on the feet. For example, it could be a scratch or scuff that occurs due to wearing uncomfortable shoes. High humidity also increases the likelihood of the virus spreading.
The appearance of splints is most likely when the feet are constantly sweating. This will be an impetus for the development of the disease.
You can catch papillomavirus by contacting another person who is already infected, the same applies to objects that he managed to touch. Viral infection only occurs through leg injuries, so if there are any, you need to be very careful. It is better not to visit gyms, swimming pools, baths, saunas and other public places. It is important to explain to the child the basic rules of personal hygiene.
Safe drug treatments
There are two tasks in treating this formation, the first is to get rid of the spine, the second is to normalize the child’s immunity. For this purpose, immunomodulators are used.
And to rid the body of the virus, antiviral drugs are prescribed. Local remedies are often used to treat these growths. Necrotizing drugs are used, as well as agents with freezing and keratolytic effects.
Necrotizing drugs
Drugs in this group have a cauterizing effect and promote the death of altered growth cells. The active ingredients in these medicines are acids. These substances can be purchased at the pharmacy.
This group includes:
- Superclean liquid.
- Fresol.
- Condilin.
- Solcoderm.
The products are applied with cotton swabs to the steamed surface of the wart. They are used for no more than four days. If the drugs do not help, the course of treatment is repeated.
Important!
Necrotizing agents are not used in children.
Pharmacy freezing
The spine can be removed in children using cryopreparations. For this purpose, ready-made forms based on liquid nitrogen are used. They can be bought at the pharmacy. The drugs freeze the changed growth cells using liquefied gas.
The product is applied to the formation with a special applicator and pressed against the skin for no more than ten seconds. During treatment, the child feels a burning and tingling sensation - this is a common reaction to cold exposure and should not frighten parents.
The skin first turns white, then turns red. After a few minutes, its color becomes normal. Within ten days, the spine should fall off and normal skin appears in its place. The most popular drug in this group is Cryofama.
Keratolytics
These remedies are considered the most gentle. They gently exfoliate virus-affected surface cells layer by layer. Before using these products, the skin must be steamed.
This group includes the following drugs:
- Argonica solution is a concentrated solution of silver ions. It is applied to the skin and the spine is covered with a band-aid. Apply until the formation is completely removed.
- Collomak solution is available in the form of a solution for external use. Use no more than ten milliliters at a time. It is applied to the growth twice a day for a week.
- "Salipod" patch - the product contains salicylic acid. It is glued to the formation and left for two days. Then the softened spine is removed with pumice. If necessary, repeat the procedure.
- Bensatiline ointment is applied to the surface of the growth, and an adhesive plaster is immediately placed on top. It is removed only after a few hours. Apply until the formation disappears completely.
Important!
Before using these products, you should consult a dermatologist.
Drugs and medicines
Children can also be prescribed various types of chemicals to help their foot heal as quickly as possible. Among these, the following are especially often used:
- solcoseryl;
- colodiline;
- feresol.
It is not recommended to use Cantharidin, although it is a very strong drug, because it can cause pain in the child.
Gels, ointments and creams are relevant for the treatment of various types. For example, among the particularly popular ones are Viferon and Salicylic ointment. However, the big disadvantage is that the use of such medications lasts a very long time.
There are also simpler methods of treatment - these are ordinary plasters (medical, of course). But there is a drawback here: it is appropriate to use them only when the disease has not yet developed and is at an early stage.
Medication intervention is not always required. The human body is capable of defeating HPV, but this is impossible in cases where there is weak immunity. If your child is one of these patients, you will need to help the body fight. The doctor will be able to prescribe “powerful” immune therapy.
Minimally invasive therapy for spine removal
Children are recommended to have lesions removed using minimally invasive methods. Their removal is done in one go and there is no need to torment children with constant cauterizations. The procedures are performed under local anesthesia in an operating room. They will be performed by a surgeon.
How to remove and get rid of growths using a laser?
Removing spines using a laser in children is considered the most convenient, reliable and painless method. The following types of laser systems are currently used to remove skin lesions:
- erbium laser;
- installation of impulse action;
- CO2 laser.
They destroy tumor cells, evaporate fluid from the cells and seal the vessels feeding the tumor.
The advantages of the technique include:
- safety;
- sterility;
- the wound heals quickly;
- the ability to control the depth of beam penetration;
- does not leave scars after use;
- Removes formation completely in one application.
Getting rid of the spine is carried out under the influence of local painkillers. Then the location of the growth is treated with an antiseptic solution. Afterwards, a laser effect is performed that destroys the cells.
Areas of healthy skin are not affected. After the procedure, an antiseptic is again applied to the wound. A crust forms at the site of exposure, which disappears on its own after two weeks.
How to remove it with liquid nitrogen?
Cryodestruction is considered the most popular method of removing spines. In general, the procedure is easily tolerated by the patient, but there is some pain, as the doctor presses on it during the process of cauterizing the growth.
The procedure is carried out using a special cryo applicator that contains liquid nitrogen. The impact on education lasts no more than thirty seconds. When exposed, the spine turns white and hardens.
After about an hour, the affected area becomes swollen and red. Subsequently, a bubble is inflated at this place, it goes away within a week.
A crust forms at the wound site. Ten days later it disappears after the wound heals. It cannot be removed, as suppuration will occur and a scar may form. If the formation has a deep cone, up to four procedures may be required.
Electrocoagulation
The action of this method is based on the destruction of altered skin cells under the influence of electric current. Before using it, local anesthesia is administered.
Not only the spine itself is affected, but also a small area of healthy tissue surrounding it. This is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. After the wound heals, a small, inconspicuous scar forms.
Which doctor should I contact if a spine appears in a child?
A plantar wart is a benign formation of a dense structure. It develops against a background of poor health in children. Papilloma is located on the feet, fingers, heels, and near the nails. The growth is inconvenient. The spine hurts when walking or palpating.
The appearance is a signal for the child to visit the hospital and provide medical care. You need to make an appointment with a dermatologist. He specializes in pathological formations of the skin.
Early help for spine will prevent unpleasant complications and relapses.
Are they surgically removed for children?
Surgical removal of spines in children is carried out only if it is large in size and has a very deep cone that penetrates into the thickness of the skin layers, or if there are several formations at once. It is performed under local anesthesia.
The doctor uses a scalpel to remove the growth body and surrounding tissue. Then stitches are applied. Now this technique is rarely used, since after it a pronounced scar is formed, and there is a high probability of relapses and suppuration.
