Long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser in treatment of palmoplantar warts: A prospective study

Abstract

Objectives: Palmoplantar warts are a challenge to treat. Standard treatment methods include electrocautery, radiofrequency ablation and cryosurgery, carbon dioxide laser, and Erbium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet laser, which are ablative, invasive, and have downtime. Non-ablative lasers like pulsed dye laser and long-pulsed Neodymium: Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet (Nd: YAG) have been tried earlier for the treatment of warts to overcome these deficiencies. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser in the treatment of palmoplantar warts. Material and Methods: Eleven adult subjects with a total of 58 hand and foot warts were enrolled in the clinical trial from January 2016 to January 2017 to receive treatment with long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser. The thick hyperkeratotic part of the wart was removed by paring and then the lesion was treated, at monthly intervals for four sessions or until the clearance of the warts. Response was assessed at the beginning, before each treatment session and after the final treatment. Results: A total of 8 subjects with 52 warts completed the study. Forty (76.9%) warts showed complete clearance of lesion and 2 (3.8%) warts showed marked improvement. Ten (19.2%) warts did not get cleared. The average number of sessions was 2.2. Mild pain was noticed during the procedure. There was no wound, no infection and no bandages were required after the procedure. Post-inflammatory pigmentation or scarring was not observed in any case. Conclusion: Long-pulsed 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser is safe, effective, non-destructive, and relatively painless for the treatment of palmoplantar warts.