The FP diagnosed flat warts based on their typical appearance and location. Flat warts are frequently found on the face and neck and can easily be spread when men shave their beards or women shave their legs. Flat warts can also occur on the face of young children.
The FP suggested cryotherapy for the largest warts and prescribed topical imiquimod (3 times per week) for home use. The FP suggested that the patient wait 2 weeks before starting the imiquimod to allow the cryotherapy to do its work and for any blistering or irritation to subside. A follow-up appointment was set for 6 weeks.
At the follow-up visit, there was little improvement and the patient wanted to try an alternative therapy. The risks and benefits of Candida antigen intralesional injection were discussed and the patient decided to proceed with this approach. Intralesional injections with Candida antigen induce a localized, cell-mediated, and human papillomavirus (HPV)-specific response that may target the injected wart as well as more distant warts. This method has moderate effectiveness (60% cure rates) for treatment of recalcitrant warts. The Candida antigen must be diluted before use, and 0.1 to 0.3 mL should be injected into the largest warts using a 30-gauge needle (up to 1 mL per treatment). Warn patients to expect itching in the area, burning, or peeling, and repeat the procedure every 4 weeks with up to 3 treatments or until warts are gone.
For this patient, the Candida antigen was diluted with normal saline (0.25 mL of generic Candida antigen with 0.75 mL of normal saline). The mixture was injected with a 30-gauge needle into approximately 10 of the largest flat warts. One month later, all of the flat warts were gone.
Photos and text for Photo Rounds Friday courtesy of Richard P. Usatine, MD. This case was adapted from: Mayeaux, EJ. Flat warts. In: Usatine R, Smith M, Mayeaux EJ, et al, eds. Color Atlas of Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2013:755-758.
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