This review acknowledges the findings of the Cochrane report highlighting the lack of evidence of efficacy of cryotherapy for viral warts; the near universal incidence of warts at some stage in childhood, the high spontaneous resolution rate and the fact that cryotherapy is painful.
Mystifyingly, the authors then go on to recommend it.
Our practice has worked hard over the years to educate parents and schools about the natural history and relatively low infectivity of simple viral warts.
Should we now reverse this approach, find the time to run a wart treatment clinic and start inflicting painful treatments on children too young to give informed consent for a condition which has an excellent chance of resolving if left alone?
Rapid Response:
Re: Management of cutaneous viral warts
This review acknowledges the findings of the Cochrane report highlighting the lack of evidence of efficacy of cryotherapy for viral warts; the near universal incidence of warts at some stage in childhood, the high spontaneous resolution rate and the fact that cryotherapy is painful.
Mystifyingly, the authors then go on to recommend it.
Our practice has worked hard over the years to educate parents and schools about the natural history and relatively low infectivity of simple viral warts.
Should we now reverse this approach, find the time to run a wart treatment clinic and start inflicting painful treatments on children too young to give informed consent for a condition which has an excellent chance of resolving if left alone?
Competing interests: No competing interests