Photo-documented case history (educational)

Treatment of a plantar wart that evolved into a mosaic wart — documented photo by photo

This website is a visual case history of a plantar wart that persisted for more than three years, failed standard treatments, evolved into a mosaic wart, and was ultimately eliminated using a specific treatment sequence. The main evidence is in the Timeline, which contains all photographs and commentary.

Start here → View the full photo timeline (wet vs. dry vs. debrided vs. post-treatment remodeling)

Case summary

Single wart treated with liquid salicylic acid (10–17%) → no durable clearance
Salicylic acid + duct tape occlusion → failed; lesion evolved into a mosaic wart
Multiple rounds of cryotherapy → wart flattened at times but survived under thick keratin
Final clearance after cryotherapy + 40% salicylic acid pads, followed by prolonged remodeling

Interpretation note: this is a single-case educational record (not a clinical trial). It does not prove superiority of any treatment. It documents a real-world course that was difficult, visually misleading, and ultimately resolved.

Open the full timeline Read the case article FAQ

Educational only — not medical advice.

Visual preview (from the Timeline)

Three distinct stages — click any image to jump to the Timeline.

September 17 Active mosaic architecture exposed after soaking + debridement.

November 9 Persistence under thick keratin after cryotherapy (dots/lobules reappear when debrided).

December 10 Post-clearance remodeling (reactive thickening can mimic recurrence).

Cryotherapy dates (documented)

Apr 22 2025 Jun 10 2025 Jul 22 2025 Aug 12 2025 Sep 2 2025 Sep 23 2025 Oct 14 2025 Nov 4 2025

The photo record begins in September 2025 (later cryotherapy period) and continues through salicylic-pad treatment and full remodeling.

How to read this case

What is a mosaic plantar wart?

A mosaic plantar wart is a cluster of multiple wart colonies under a shared callus roof. This structure can make treatment response appear inconsistent, because partial destruction may leave surviving islands beneath thick keratin.

Common visual traps

Dry keratin can hide underlying architecture (looks “better”).
Soaking reveals structure (looks “worse”).
Healing/remodeling can mimic recurrence.

How to use the Timeline

Scroll in chronological order.
Compare soaked vs dried vs debrided states.
Use the notes to distinguish active structure vs remodeling.

The Timeline is designed for readers to quickly learn the “pattern language” of plantar warts and post-treatment remodeling.

Selected literature

These sources provide context that (i) cryotherapy and salicylic acid are both commonly used first-line treatments, (ii) neither is uniformly successful as monotherapy, and (iii) persistent cases often require switching strategy or multimodal approaches.

Cockayne S, et al. Cryotherapy versus salicylic acid for the treatment of plantar warts (EVerT trial), BMJ (2011). BMJ | PubMed
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Treatment of Nongenital Cutaneous Warts (2011). AAFP
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). Destructive therapies for cutaneous warts (2022). RACGP
AAFP. Treatment of Nongenital Warts (2011). AAFP (Dec 2011)

How this site uses the literature: citations provide general background on expected variability and limits of monotherapy; the Timeline provides a concrete, photo-documented example of a difficult course.