Publication:

Treatment of multiple warts: efficacy of homologous autoimplantation therapy and comparison of homologous autoimplantation therapy and cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen

Background Though a multitude of therapies are available, treating warts remains a challenge, more so if multiple. Cryotherapy, a commonly used treatment, has limitations. Homologous autoimplantation is a newer therapy for multiple warts. The aims of the study were to evaluate the efficacy of homologous autoimplantation therapy and compare it with cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen.

Methods Hundred patients with multiple warts (≥5), were randomly selected and divided into two equal groups. One group was treated with cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen and the other with homologous autoimplantation. They were followed up for six months and the time taken for clearance of the lesions, complications and recurrences were compared.

Results Homologous autoimplantation gave a higher cure rate (78%) than cryotherapy (56%). Complications like blistering, ulceration, scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation were higher with cryotherapy (40%) than autoimplantation (6%). The recurrence rate was 4% in the cryotherapy group and none in the other. But the time taken for the resolution was lower in the cryotherapy group (2.28 weeks) than the autoimplantation group (6.46 weeks).

Conclusions Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen and homologous autoimplantation are safe and effective therapies for warts but the latter carried a few advantages. The cure rate was higher, complications lower and recurrence was lower. Also autoimplantation can be of help in multiple warts where physical destruction of each and every wart is cumbersome. Hard to treat lesions like periungual warts, showed good results with autoimplantation.