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Topical formic acid puncture technique for the treatment of common warts
Author(s) -
Bhat Ramesh M.,
Vidya Krishna,
Kamath Ganesh
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-4362.2001.01242.x
Subject(s) - medicine , placebo , formic acid , common warts , clinical trial , surgery , patient compliance , dermatology , emergency medicine , pathology , alternative medicine , chromatography , chemistry , human papillomavirus
Background Warts are a common chronic skin disorder that can be cosmetically disfiguring and, depending on the location, cause inhibition of function. The presence of dozens of topical and systemic treatments for warts is a testament to the lack of a rapid, simple, uniformly effective, inexpensive, nonscarring, and painless treatment. Aim The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of 85% formic acid application, an inexpensive therapy, for the treatment of warts. Methods A placebo‐controlled, nonrandomized, open trial was performed in 100 patients with common warts attending Father Muller's Medical College Hospital, Mangalore. Fifty patients received 85% formic acid application and 50 patients received placebo (water) using a topical application/needle puncture technique every other day. Results Ninety‐two per cent of patients who received formic acid application showed complete disappearance of warts after a 3–4‐week treatment period, compared to 6% in the placebo group. Conclusions The results show that 85% formic acid application is a safe, economical, and effective alternative in the treatment of common warts with few side‐effects and good compliance. A multicenter trial is needed to examine the efficacy and safety of this treatment.