Question from San Juan, Puerto Rico:

My son, 19, has had diabetes for 11 years. He checks his blood sugar 2-3 times a day, and has achieved good control most of the time (last HbA1c was 7.8). In the past two years, he has developed warts in the tips of his fingers, which don’t seem to go away. He has been to the dermatologists every time and has them removed, only to get them back again in a month. The doctor says they are caused by a virus, and that nothing can be done. It is very painful for him every time he gets them removed, and has most of his fingers with scars. He will be coming home from college today, and will again go to the doctor to get two more warts removed. Is this common among people with diabetes? Any solutions, other than having them removed? Is there any medication for this virus? He only gets them in the tips of his fingers, where he checks his blood sugar, and always uses alcohol. He just started using the At Last monitor and I hope this is the end of the warts.