Duct tape removes warts

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Q&A

Duct tape removes warts

J Fam Pract. 2003 February;52(2):94-117

By

Thomas J. Lynch, PharmD

BACKGROUND: Is the application of duct tape as effective as cryotherapy in the treatment of common warts? The common wart occurs in 5% to 10% of all pediatric patients. Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen is currently the treatment of choice in many pediatric offices. However, anecdotal reports in the literature have suggested that tape occlusion therapy also may be effective.
POPULATION STUDIED: A total of 61 patients between the ages of 3 and 22 years were initially enrolled over a period of 9 months. Each was an outpatient of the Madigan Army Medical Center and was scheduled for treatment of common warts or was observed to have them. Patients were excluded if warts were located on the face or on the periungual, perianal, or genital areas; if previous cryotherapy had been performed on the same wart; or if they were immunodeficient or had a chronic skin disease.
STUDY DESIGN AND VALIDITY: In this randomized, single-blinded trial, cryotherapy was compared with duct tape for the treatment of common warts. Patients were randomized by using a computer-generated code after nursing personnel measured the initial diameter of the study wart. The report did not indicate whether treatment allocation was withheld from the enrolling researcher.
OUTCOMES MEASURED: The primary outcome measured was complete resolution of the study wart. A secondary outcome measure was time to resolution.
RESULTS: Of 61 patients initially enrolled in the study, 51 were included in the final analysis (26 in the duct tape group and 25 in the cryotherapy group). Nine patients were not available for follow-up (3 in the duct tape group and 6 in the cryotherapy group), and 1 patient from the tape group suffered a traumatic amputation of the toe with the study wart.

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Duct tape removes warts

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