How to differentiate between a wart and poison ivy skin growth in my wrist?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have skin growth on my wrist, and I would like to know if it is poison ivy or a wart. It was initially itchy, but it is not now.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

If it has appeared only for the last four days, it cannot be a wart. Warts are slow-growing lesions. The sudden onset and itchy lesion is more likely an irritant contact dermatitis to something (like poison ivy). The steroid cream should help with that.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Wart is also possible. A simple way to differentiate is wart will be firm to feel, and poison ivy (irritating contact dermatitis - ICD) is softer and more likely to be a little oozy. The wart will grow slowly, as ICD size will change faster but most likely come down within a week to ten days. So if you feel the firmness and the size is constant over two weeks, it is a wart that you have coincidentally noticed.