|
Your skin has its share of bumps. Fortunately, most of
these lumps are harmless or benign. Two of the most common
types of skin lumps are warts and moles.
A wart is a non-cancerous skin growth caused by a viral
infection in the skin. There are several types of
warts-common warts can grow anywhere, but are hard to treat
when on fingers or around nails; plantar warts usually grow
on the soles of the feet; and flat warts are smaller and
smoother than other warts and tend to grow in large numbers
at any one time. "Warts can be successfully treated," says
Warren Piette, M.D., UI dermatologist. Check with your
physician for the best way to treat the warts in your
family.
Moles are spots on the skin, collections of pigment
cells, and can appear brown, blue, black, or flesh colored.
Some moles have a high risk of becoming cancerous and
exposure to the sun can trigger malignant melanoma in moles
or previously normal skin. "Check with your physician if you
notice a change in any mole," says Piette.
Other types of skin lesions
Rash-skin eruptions of reddish blemishes,
surrounding skin may be red and swollen. Allergies,
infections, diseases, and insect bites can cause rashes.
Skin tags-harmless flaps of skin, maybe
flesh-colored or darker. Usually grow on the neck,
underarm, or groin areas, as well as under breasts.
Boils-infected, pus- filled swellings in the
skin around hair follicles.
Cyst-a closed sac containing fluid or solid
material.
For more information about skin lesions, or for help
treating them, call UI
Health Access, 319-384-8442, ext. 404, or 800-777-8442,
ext. 404.
For more information:
Listed above are several Web sites that offer additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI
Health Access.
Back to top
|
|
