Evidence for warts treatments is limited

Topical salicylic acid is an effective and safe treatment for warts, but there is no clear evidence that any other treatments, including cryotherapy, have a particular advantage of either higher cure rates or fewer side effects. Gibbs and colleagues (p 461) conducted a systematic review of local treatments and say that only 12 of 50 trials were of high quality. Photodynamic therapy and pulsed dye lasers may, the authors say, hold promise for the future.
 
(Credit: ST BART'S HOSPITAL/SPL)



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Relevant Article

Local treatments for cutaneous warts: systematic review • Commentary: Systematic reviewers face challenges from varied study designs
Sam Gibbs, Ian Harvey, Jane Sterling, Rosemary Stark, and Douglas G Altman
BMJ 2002 325: 461. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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