TOPLINE

Patients with recalcitrant common warts who received both topical 50% urea cream and carboxytherapy healed faster and had larger reductions in lesion size than those who received urea cream alone, while both treatments cleared warts completely.

METHODOLOGY

• Researchers conducted a randomized, single-blinded clinical trial to compare monotherapy with topical 50% urea vs combination therapy of topical 50% urea and carboxytherapy for patients with recalcitrant common warts.
• They included 20 adults (mean age, 24 years; 60% men) with recalcitrant common warts on the extremities (excluding the plantar surface) in Iran.
• For each patient, urea cream was applied twice daily to lesions on both sides of the body, while lesions on one side additionally received weekly carboxytherapy.
• Both treatments were continued until complete resolution of warts was achieved.
• Assessments included lesion count and size, time to complete resolution, recurrence rates, pain intensity, and adverse events.

TAKEAWAY

• All treated lesions completely resolved in both groups. Decrease in lesion size was significantly greater in patients who received combination therapy vs urea cream alone (P < .05).
• Time to complete resolution was significantly shorter in patients who received combination therapy vs urea cream alone (mean, 57.15 vs 69.65 days; P < .05).
• Lesion counts and pain scores did not differ significantly between groups.
• No significant adverse events were reported in either treatment group, and no recurrences were reported at 6 months after complete resolution in either group.

IN PRACTICE

"Both monotherapy with topical 50% urea cream and combination therapy with topical 50% urea cream and carboxytherapy were effective in the treatment of recalcitrant recurrent common warts, although the effectiveness of combination therapy was statistically more," the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE

The study was led by Nooshin Bagherani, Dr Nooshin Bagherani's Dermatology and Cosmetology Office in Arak, Markazi Province, Iran. It was published online on August 1 in Journal of Medical Virology.

LIMITATIONS

The study had a small sample size. Researchers did not include other clinical types of warts. They did not compare the treatments with standard therapies such as salicylic acid or cryotherapy.

DISCLOSURES

The study received support from Arak University of Medical Sciences. The authors reported no relevant conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.