Can Warts Grow Quickly?
Yes, some warts can grow quickly, particularly genital warts which typically develop within 2-3 months after HPV infection, and certain populations experience accelerated growth, especially immunosuppressed individuals and pregnant women. 1
Growth Timeline and Patterns
Genital Warts
- The average time to development of visible genital warts after HPV types 6 or 11 infection is approximately 2-3 months, representing relatively rapid growth from microscopic infection to clinically apparent lesions 1
- If left untreated, genital warts may go away spontaneously (20-30% within 3 months), remain unchanged, or grow in size or number 1, 2
Cutaneous (Common) Warts
- Common hand and foot warts develop more slowly, with visible warts appearing weeks or even months after initial HPV infection of the basal keratinocyte layer 1
- The progression from initial infection to visible wart involves epidermal thickening and hyperkeratinization through clonal proliferation 1
Populations with Accelerated Growth
Immunosuppressed Patients
- Persons who are immunosuppressed (HIV-infected, organ transplant recipients, or other causes) may develop larger or more numerous warts that grow more rapidly than in immunocompetent individuals 1
- Warts in immunosuppressed patients are more resistant to treatment and recur more frequently 1
Pregnancy
- Genital warts can proliferate and become friable during pregnancy, representing a specific situation where rapid growth is expected 1
- This accelerated growth during pregnancy may be related to hormonal and immunologic changes 1
Clinical Implications
When to Suspect Rapid Growth
- New warts appearing within 2-3 months of potential HPV exposure should be considered normal progression rather than unusually rapid growth 1
- Warts that increase dramatically in size or number over weeks (rather than months) warrant evaluation for immunosuppression 1
Treatment Considerations
- Treatment within the first year of wart appearance improves success rates, suggesting that addressing rapidly growing warts early is beneficial 3
- Smaller warts respond better to treatment than extensive disease, making early intervention for rapidly growing lesions advantageous 3
Important Caveats
- Unusually severe or prolonged warts should prompt consideration of underlying immune deficit, including HIV infection, lymphoma, or idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia 1
- In immunosuppressed individuals, rapidly growing lesions may represent squamous cell carcinomas rather than benign warts, requiring biopsy for suspicious cases 1
- Most warts in immunocompetent children clear spontaneously, with half resolving at 1 year and two-thirds by 2 years, though adult warts persist much longer (5-10 years not uncommon) 1