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Warts

A wart is a generally small, rough, cauliflower-like growth, typically on hands and feet. Warts are common and contagious, and are caused by a viral infection, specifically by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). They typically disappear after a few months but can last for years and can recur. A few Papilloma viruses are known to cause cancer. more...

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Medicines

Treatment

Prescription

Treatments that may be prescribed by a medical professional include:

  • Aldara™ (Imiquimod) topical cream, that not only clears up the wart but helps the immune system fight the virus without the pain of having the wart burned, frozen or cut off. It is indicated for genital warts but has been prescribed effectively to clear up other kinds of warts as well.
  • Cryosurgery, which involves freezing the wart, after which the wart and surrounding dead skin falls off by itself.
  • Cryosurgery followed by surgically removing the infected spot.
  • Treatment with chemical compounds, containing salicylic acid, blistering agents, or immune system modifiers
  • Laser treatment

None of these treatments are very effective on single uses; the wart often returns after the skin has healed from the treatment, but repeated treatment should rid the wart permanently. As they disappear after a few months and maximally a few years, treatment is necessary only if the lesions are painful or are a cosmetic problem.

Over-the-counter

There are also several over-the-counter options. The most common one involves salicylic acid. These products are readily available at most drugstores and supermarkets. There are typically two types of products: adhesive pads treated with salicylic acid, or a bottle of concentrated salicylic acid. Removing a wart with this method requires a strict regimen of cleaning the area, applying the salicylic acid, and removing the dead skin with a pumice stone or emery board. It may take up to 12 weeks to remove a stubborn wart.

Another over-the-counter product that can aid in wart removal is silver nitrate in the form of a Caustic Pencil, which is also available at drug stores. This method generally takes three to six daily treatments to be effective. The instructions must be followed to minimize staining of skin and clothing.

Over-the-counter cryosurgery kits are also available.

Like prescription treatments, over-the-counter treatments usually require multiple applications, and are only necessary if the warts are problematic. Additionally, these treatments are capable of destroying healthy skin as well as warts, so caution must be exercised by those attempting them without medical supervision.

Household remedies

The duct tape method involves placing a piece of duct tape (or medical tape) over the affected area for a week at a time. The procedure is otherwise identical to that of using salicylic acid adhesive pads. A study found that the duct tape method was 85% effective, compared to a 60% success rate in the study's cryotherapy group.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


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Oral zinc for warts - Literature Review & Commentary - Brief Article
From Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, 8/1/03 by Alan R. Gaby

Eighty patients (mean age, 20 years) with treatment-resistant viral warts (common, plantar and plane; more than 15 warts per person), with a disease duration of 1-10 years, were randomly assigned to receive, in single-blind fashion, oral zinc sulfate (10 mg/kg of body weight/day, to a maximum of 600 mg/day) or placebo for two months. Only 23 patients in the zinc group and 20 in the placebo group completed the study; the reasons for withdrawal were not specified. At baseline, the mean serum zinc concentration was approximately 27% lower in the patients than in healthy controls, although none of the patients had signs or symptoms of zinc deficiency. In the zinc-treated group, 20 of 23 patients (86.9%) had complete disappearance of warts after 2 months, and 14 (60.9%) had complete disappearance of warts after 1 month. No patient in the placebo group improved. Signs and symptoms of wart regression occurred in all patients treated with zinc: these included itching, tenderness, and a transient increase in the size or number of warts. Side effects of zinc included nausea in all patients, vomiting in 21.7%, and epigastric pain in 13%. These side effects were mild and transient and did not necessitate stopping treatment.

Comment: The results of this study indicate that oral zinc sulfate is effective in the treatment of chronic viral warts. The maximum dose of 600 mg/day of zinc sulfate is equivalent to 135 mg/day of elemental zinc. It is possible that smaller (and less nauseating) doses of zinc would also be effective, if better absorbed forms were used, such as zinc picolinate or zinc citrate. Although the dropout rate was nearly 50%, the high response rate among patients who completed the study is noteworthy.

Al-Gurairi FT, et al. Oral zinc sulphate in the treatment of recalcitrant viral warts: randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Br J Dermatol 2002;146:423-431.

Alan R. Gaby, MD

301 Dorwood Drive * Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013

COPYRIGHT 2003 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group

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