What's a varooca?

[Onan the Clumsy]

Only found two Googles, neither useful.

Can you get them other places than your feet?

[rich49]

Yeah. I knew someone who had em all up her leg. I had one on my thumb once, which was great, meant I got out of 3rd year swimming at school. (couldn't put a varooca sock on your hand!) Why'd you ask?

[troppo]

try verruca on google mate.... warts!

[gingernut]

A verruca is a flat wart, flattened by constant compression caused by walking.

Always harmless, caused by a virus, which eventually gets bored of your body, and leaves, usually after 2-3 yrs.

3 options for treatment.

a) leave well alone, it will go anyway.

b) buy some cream from the chemist - bit of a pain, and messy.

c) have it frozen off with liquid nitrogen - slightly painful.

Swimming baths and schools get a bit paranoid about spread, but carry on swimming. Never seen anyone die of a verruca, but lots of kids drown each year !

PS don't pick it, it will probably spread.

[Onan the Clumsy]

Thanks everyone.


PS don't pick it, it will probably spread Whoops! :uhoh:

[Flyin'Dutch']

Verrucas are wart on yer feet as gingernut has said.

Until October 02 we used to freeze those (like we do with hand warts) but recent evidence suggests that this is not effective treatment so we stopped it.

Best thing is to scrub them down with pumice stone and put something like Bazooka; Salatac etc on it.

They're a nuisance more than anything else and in principle selflimiting (and will disappear most of the time on their own accord)

FD

[Onan the Clumsy]

on their own accord Like my wife...who just went on holiday to the West Indies

"Oh yes? Jamacia?"

"No. She went...on her own accord :ok:

[gingernut]

Flyindutch....oh dear, have I missed something !

[Flyin'Dutch']

Flyindutch....oh dear, have I missed something

Nah, nothing to exciting. It was pointed out to me by one of my colleagues.

Interesting thing is that we both used to do the freezing and at that time of verrucas.

Sometimes we would see/treat each other's patients and when they came to me they used to get rid of the verrucas but also complained that it was a lot more hurtful than having them frozen by my colleague.

Think the depth of application of the liquid N2 has a lot to do with it.

Don't even try it with the histofreezer as that gives only a very superficial application of the liquid N2.

FD

[gingernut]

Fd I'm still freezing away. I think its one of those 30-ish percent of interventions we perform in primary care, where the evidence is pretty scant. (or it looks like non - existent)

The trouble is, the patient's like it. I'll have to have a look at the evidence, and perhaps "redesign" the service.

PS there's a dermatologist at Bristol Royal, who uses "duct tape" on warts. He published a (small scale) RCT in "Pulse" last August. Havn't tried it yet !

[Flyin'Dutch']

GN,

I freeze handwarts (as it does work on those according to the research); seborrhoeic warts and solar keratosis, but stopped the verrucas.

As I said I think that it does work if you freeze them deep enough.

Maybe not everyone is a cruel as I am.

:)

FD

[Mac the Knife]

Block the posterior tibial nerve and scoop 'em out with a sharp curette. Dress with Granuflex. Wash with ordinary soap and tapwater. Healed in 10 days.

[Well, us cutters have to do SOMETHING...]

PS: I used to do a double freeze but got bored with it 'cos it took to long to slough out & slower to heal. Sore for longer too.

[Bad medicine]

I still freeze the superficial ones. I think the ones with any depth are a bit more resistant. Curette and diathermy for the deep ones if people are really worried about them.

Cheers,

BM

[Mac the Knife]

"I knew someone who had em all up her leg...."

That was likely a linear verrucous epidermal naevus. Superficial and do well with dermabrasion.

[gingernut]

So the take home message Onan, is keep the verrucaes well away from a doctor, and if you see a surgeon....run like hell.

(No serious disrespect intended to my surgical friends)

[fernytickles]

I just had a "planter wart" (I think thats what they call them over here) frozen by a doctor 48 hours ago. This was the second time - the first application a week ago had no effect.
This doctor used what he said was the tool normally used for looking in someone's ear, held the narrow end right on the wart and scooshed the N2 down the narrowing tube. He reckons that directs the N2 more accurately, but was as ambivilent about it working as you medical guys seem to be.
I read in the BBC's book "Trade Secrets" that I should rub the milk from a dandelion on them.....I'd have to wait for the 2' of snow and permafrost to go before seeing any dandelions

[henry crun]

I have just got rid of one on my heel with an ointment that contains salicylic acid and podophyllum resin.

It took a few weeks but on the plus side it was painless and only cost a fraction of what a doc would charge to freeze or cut it.

[kabz]

I used to cut my warts out with a penknife .... ick