The Effectiveness of Topical Treatment for Plantar Warts: A Retrospective Cohort Study
<b>Background</b>: Plantar warts, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), are a common condition that can be painful and resistant to treatment. There are various therapeutic options for managing them, but it is not always clear which are the most effective and tolerated by patients. Among...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Ana Mª Rayo Pérez José María Juárez Jiménez Rafael Rayo Rosado Raquel García de la Peña |
| author_facet | Ana Mª Rayo Pérez José María Juárez Jiménez Rafael Rayo Rosado Raquel García de la Peña |
| author_sort | Ana Mª Rayo Pérez |
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| description | <b>Background</b>: Plantar warts, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), are a common condition that can be painful and resistant to treatment. There are various therapeutic options for managing them, but it is not always clear which are the most effective and tolerated by patients. Among the most commonly used treatments are a zinc and nitric complex (nitrizinc complex), cantharidin, and bleomycin, each with different mechanisms of action and profiles in terms of pain and patient satisfaction. <b>Objectives</b>: We aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy, post-treatment pain, and patient satisfaction among three common treatments (zinc and nitric complex, cantharidin, and bleomycin) in subjects with plantar warts, as well as identify the most effective and best-tolerated treatment. <b>Materials and Methods</b>: This is a retrospective case series study analyzing 60 records of subjects aged 18 to 40 years diagnosed with plantar warts without systemic diseases or allergies and without any prior treatment. Complete records from 2020 to 2023 were selected. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the treatment received (zinc and nitric complex, cantharidin, bleomycin), and demographic variables, post-treatment pain (measured using the visual analog scale), the number of sessions required, and satisfaction after discharge (evaluated with the Likert scale) were analyzed. <b>Results</b>: Of the 60 subjects included, the group treated with bleomycin experienced higher levels of pain after the first session (mean of 7.1 points on the VAS) compared to the cantharidin group (2.7 points) and the zinc and nitric complex group (1.1 points). However, the bleomycin group required fewer sessions for complete healing (an average of 1.8 sessions), while the nitric acid group needed more (3.4 sessions), with cantharidin falling in between (2.5 sessions). Regarding post-discharge satisfaction, all groups showed comparable scores (between 7.9 and 8.5 points), although cantharidin demonstrated slightly higher satisfaction. A statistical analysis showed significant differences in the number of sessions and post-treatment pain between treatments (<i>p</i> < 0.05) but not in final satisfaction. <b>Conclusions</b>: Although bleomycin treatment is more painful, it is the most effective in terms of reducing the number of sessions required for complete healing. Cantharidin offers a good balance between efficacy and patient satisfaction, while a zinc and nitric complex, although less painful, requires more sessions for complete treatment. Each treatment has specific advantages, suggesting that therapeutic choices should be personalized according to the patient’s needs and preferences. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-178205fdda3043f3aa62b01d395856ea |
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| spelling | doaj-art-178205fdda3043f3aa62b01d395856ea2025-08-20T02:00:33ZengMDPI AGInfectious Disease Reports2036-74492024-11-011661108111710.3390/idr16060090The Effectiveness of Topical Treatment for Plantar Warts: A Retrospective Cohort StudyAna Mª Rayo Pérez0José María Juárez Jiménez1Rafael Rayo Rosado2Raquel García de la Peña3Department of Podiatry of the Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry of the University of Seville, Calle Avicena s/n, 41009 Seville, SpainDepartment of Podiatry of the Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry of the University of Seville, Calle Avicena s/n, 41009 Seville, SpainDepartment of Podiatry of the Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry of the University of Seville, Calle Avicena s/n, 41009 Seville, SpainDepartment of Podiatry of the Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry of the University of Seville, Calle Avicena s/n, 41009 Seville, Spain<b>Background</b>: Plantar warts, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), are a common condition that can be painful and resistant to treatment. There are various therapeutic options for managing them, but it is not always clear which are the most effective and tolerated by patients. Among the most commonly used treatments are a zinc and nitric complex (nitrizinc complex), cantharidin, and bleomycin, each with different mechanisms of action and profiles in terms of pain and patient satisfaction. <b>Objectives</b>: We aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy, post-treatment pain, and patient satisfaction among three common treatments (zinc and nitric complex, cantharidin, and bleomycin) in subjects with plantar warts, as well as identify the most effective and best-tolerated treatment. <b>Materials and Methods</b>: This is a retrospective case series study analyzing 60 records of subjects aged 18 to 40 years diagnosed with plantar warts without systemic diseases or allergies and without any prior treatment. Complete records from 2020 to 2023 were selected. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the treatment received (zinc and nitric complex, cantharidin, bleomycin), and demographic variables, post-treatment pain (measured using the visual analog scale), the number of sessions required, and satisfaction after discharge (evaluated with the Likert scale) were analyzed. <b>Results</b>: Of the 60 subjects included, the group treated with bleomycin experienced higher levels of pain after the first session (mean of 7.1 points on the VAS) compared to the cantharidin group (2.7 points) and the zinc and nitric complex group (1.1 points). However, the bleomycin group required fewer sessions for complete healing (an average of 1.8 sessions), while the nitric acid group needed more (3.4 sessions), with cantharidin falling in between (2.5 sessions). Regarding post-discharge satisfaction, all groups showed comparable scores (between 7.9 and 8.5 points), although cantharidin demonstrated slightly higher satisfaction. A statistical analysis showed significant differences in the number of sessions and post-treatment pain between treatments (<i>p</i> < 0.05) but not in final satisfaction. <b>Conclusions</b>: Although bleomycin treatment is more painful, it is the most effective in terms of reducing the number of sessions required for complete healing. Cantharidin offers a good balance between efficacy and patient satisfaction, while a zinc and nitric complex, although less painful, requires more sessions for complete treatment. Each treatment has specific advantages, suggesting that therapeutic choices should be personalized according to the patient’s needs and preferences.https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/16/6/90HPVplantar warttreatmenteffectivenessnitric acidcantharidin |
| spellingShingle | Ana Mª Rayo Pérez José María Juárez Jiménez Rafael Rayo Rosado Raquel García de la Peña The Effectiveness of Topical Treatment for Plantar Warts: A Retrospective Cohort Study Infectious Disease Reports HPV plantar wart treatment effectiveness nitric acid cantharidin |
| title | The Effectiveness of Topical Treatment for Plantar Warts: A Retrospective Cohort Study |
| title_full | The Effectiveness of Topical Treatment for Plantar Warts: A Retrospective Cohort Study |
| title_fullStr | The Effectiveness of Topical Treatment for Plantar Warts: A Retrospective Cohort Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effectiveness of Topical Treatment for Plantar Warts: A Retrospective Cohort Study |
| title_short | The Effectiveness of Topical Treatment for Plantar Warts: A Retrospective Cohort Study |
| title_sort | effectiveness of topical treatment for plantar warts a retrospective cohort study |
| topic | HPV plantar wart treatment effectiveness nitric acid cantharidin |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/16/6/90 |
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