Assessment of Visual Diagnosis by Podiatrists for HPV and Onychomycosis: The Need for Complementary Tests

Onychomycosis and human papillomavirus (HPV) plantar warts are common in clinical practice. Clinical diagnosis is based on searching for pathognomonic signs and symptoms. However, due to misdiagnosis, podiatrists may unnecessarily prescribe antifungal treatments or burn lesions with chemical agents. The objective of this study was to assess podiatrists’ visual diagnosis of these infections and their willingness to use complementary tests. A 12-item questionnaire was developed to assess visual diagnostic ability. The diagnoses of all lesions were verified before the questionnaire was sent out. The respondents were 415 podiatrists with a range of years of experience. While 86.3% of podiatrists considered complementary tests for onychomycosis necessary, only 21.4% used them regularly. As many as 60.2% would leave a distal subungual onychomycosis untreated based on visual diagnosis. In the case of HPV, only 14.5% of respondents considered complementary tests necessary, although 76.6% would treat a non-HPV lesion with regular chemical agents. Years of experience did not affect the percentage of misdiagnoses. Complementary tests are needed in clinical practice to avoid unnecessary treatments. Podiatrists easily identify clear signs and symptoms but have difficulty making differential diagnoses. Research should focus on ensuring complementary tests are available to health professionals.