What Is the Treatment?
There are various wart treatment modalities available for different types of warts. Selection of the appropriate wart treatment option is dependent on the number of lesions, the anatomical location, the size of the wart, and the body’s response to any prior therapies tried. Topical therapies include salicylic acid in liquid or patch form, Cantharidin, and imiquimod cream. Another effective treatment option is cryotherapy which involves freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen. Occasionally the wart may require debulking of the thickened skin with a curette before freezing the area with liquid nitrogen.
Warts may also be injected with Candida antigen or removed by shave excision. Removal by shave excision is usually reserved for singular lesions as creating an open wound on the skin increases the risk of infection. All forms of treatment are aimed at stimulating an immune response from the patient’s body that will recognize the causative virus and attack it.
Warts can be persistent and often require multiple treatments for complete resolution, especially warts found on the soles of feet and surrounding the nail bed. It is important to avoid picking or scratching at warts as this can spread the virus and cause new wart growth on other areas of the body. The HPV vaccine can help protect against certain strains of HPV known to cause genital warts.
