BLOG - REGULAR BLOG BY JANET McGROGGAN - PRINCIPAL PODIATRIST 

Posts from April 2017

Can't you just cut it out? Has it got roots? What are the black spots? 
 
All valid questions, all shall be answered. 
 
What is a Verrucae? 
 
A verrucae is a virus that affects the epidermal layer of our skin. It is known as the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and there are more than 90 types of HPV. 
 
Viruses are microscopic. But, what you can see are the distorted skin cells that the verrucae has invaded. There may be small black dots which are capillaries (tiny blood vessels). 
 
A verrucae may be a single lesion (plantar wart) which on weight bearing areas can be quite deep and covered with hard skin. Or grouped together as multiple or mosaic warts (cutaneous warts) which are generally more superficial. 
 
Verrucae are spread by the transfer of a virally infected cell in a damp environment. 
 
So, cover it with a plaster if you are sharing a shower or bathing area. 
If I had a pound for every time someone asked me this... I'd never need to work again! No, seriously this is the enigma of the podiatrist. So here we go... 
 
The titles of Chiropodist and Podiatrist are protected in the UK and this means that only professionals qualified and registered can legally use these to define their profession. Essentially the two are interchangeable but this can still be very confusing. 
 
So, what is the difference? Well, my degree is in Podiatry but one of the things I do is chiropody. There. Cheerio. 
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