Overview
Warts are small, usually painless growths on the skin caused by a virus. The typical wart is a raised round or oval growth on the skin with a rough surface. Common warts tend to cause no discomfort unless they are in areas of repeated friction or pressure. Warts often go away on their own within two years.
Review Date 10/24/2016
Updated by: David L. Swanson, MD, Vice Chair of Medical Dermatology, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Mayo Medical School, Scottsdale, AZ. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.