Are there completely harmless warts?

Society is extremely wary of any neoplasms on the skin and, not really understanding the intricacies of their names, calls warts those that have a dark color and a shape raised above the skin. Of particular concern is the appearance of such a formation on the face – if only because it is immediately noticeable.

Of course, there are advantages to such vigilance, since it allows to identify in time those neoplasms that are prone to malignancy. But sometimes it is worth reassuring the patient that his tubercle on the skin of the face – this is a completely harmless fibroepithelial nevus, from which there are only aesthetic problems.

Benign lesions on the face: fibroepithelial nevus

One of the most common lesions on the face is a fibroepithelial nevus, which usually has the traditional brownish color of a wart, but may also have a normal skin color. It's pigmented  the formation is benign, melanoma dangerous, not prone to degeneration into skin cancer.

It is an elastic skin nodule of soft consistency, semicircular shape on a stem, resembling a papilloma. Its size usually does not exceed 1.5 cm, but fibroepithelial nevi are more common, about a few millimeters in size.

Usually, such nevi have a smooth, even surface, but it happens that a network of blood vessels is visible through the skin of the formation on the face, or stiff or fluffy hairs grow from the nevus. As a rule, these are single formations on the face, but they can be multiple, and not only on the face, but also on the trunk.

Fibroepithelial nevus forms in childhood or adolescence, but can also occur in adults, grows slowly and does not change its color. If it is injured, then an inflamed red rim appears in the base area.

Diagnostic features of the formation on the face and treatment of nevi

If formations on the face disturb the patient, and he comes to the dermatologist with a request to find out the degree of danger of his so-called wart, then dermatoscopy of the fibroepithelial nevus is performed, and if necessary, determine the depth of its germination – ultrasound examination.

Since this type of formation on the face does not pose a danger to the health of the patient, the removal of the nevus is performed according to aesthetic indications – if it is located on the face, it is large and unsightly in appearance.

Excision of the formation on the face is performed surgically – with subsequent histological examination of the tissue, or the nevus is removed by laser or cryodestruction – but there will no longer be an opportunity to examine tissues from the point of view of histology.

With any of these methods, it is very important to ensure that the cells of the fibroepithelial nevus are removed as completely as possible, otherwise these formations on the skin will reappear.