CUTANEOUS WARTS: A REVIEW

Abstract

Warts are injuries of contagious nature caused by viral infections whose etiological agent is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and they may affect the top layer of skin and mucous membranes with characteristics differing depending on the area affected. In view of the contagiousness of warts, especially in respect to community use of pools, it was necessary to seek scientific arguments in the literature about those lesions with the purpose of improving the knowledge to thus enable a more skilled attention to children. Thus, this study aims to acquire knowledge about warts epidemiology, means of transmission and treatment in view of guiding users who frequent the SESI bathing resort. This is a literature search that used secondary source material available in the Central Library at UFPB-Campus I Joao Pessoa, as well as online databases (LILACS and SciELO). Among the warts identified in the children users of SESI services, the majority was vulgar warts, and nearly all users/companions (parents) had no information that the wart could be transmitted to others through direct or indirect contact as well as occurrence of self-inoculation. The authors consulted describe warts as diversified viral infectious lesions, with more than 60 types and mainly found among children and young. Thus, it was demonstrated that the population has no clear knowledge about ways to get infected. DESCRIPTORS Warts. Infection. Nursing.