Summary

• Common warts, also known as verrucae vulgaris, are caused by HPV infection and affect most people during their lifetimes. They are most common in children and young adults.
• Common warts should be distinguished from serious conditions that mimic them, such as squamous cell carcinoma, especially in immunocompromised patients.
• The goals of treatment are to destroy the lesion, induce cytotoxicity against infected cells, and promote antiviral immunoresponsiveness to prevent recurrence.
• Best outcomes are achieved with a combination of destructive and immunosensitising approaches.
• Most common warts in healthy people resolve spontaneously. Clearance rates in children from time of diagnosis to clearance are 23% at 2 months, 30% at 3 months, 65% to 78% at 2 years, and 90% at 5 years.