Pulsed-dye laser versus conventional therapy in the treatment of warts: A prospective randomized trial

British Association of Dermatologists' guidelines for the management of cutaneous warts 2014

“…Combination treatments can be undertaken 10,17,20,21 Other treatments: dithranol, 87 5-FU, 93 formaldehyde, 78 glutaraldehyde, 35 hyperthermia, 55 laser, 58,65 PDT, 68,73 podophyllotoxin, 90 topical immunotherapy 133,136 Plane warts On the backs of the hands or face, plane warts are mainly a cosmetic problem and spontaneous clearance can often be awaited. Destructive and caustic agents are more likely to produce scarring at these sites and should be used with care Salicylic acid cream/ointment 2-10% or cautious use of salicylic acid paint, 12-17%, used without occlusion Cryotherapy, milder freeze Topical retinoid 110,111 Others treatments: acupuncture, 171 cantharidin, 41 for the most part, weak.…”

Paring and intense pulsed light versus paring alone for recalcitrant hand and foot warts: A randomized clinical trial with blinded outcome evaluation

“…In comparison, PDL is monochromatic light of 585 nm that is thought to exhibit a similar non-destructive mechanism of action on wart tissue, although differences in pulse duration between PDL and IPL may influence the treatment outcome. Only one previous randomized clinical trial by Robson et al [16] has assessed PDL efficacy for simple warts. This trial involved 40 patients and found no significant difference in cure rates from four treatments at monthly intervals between PDL (66% of warts) and conventional treatment with cryotherapy or cantharidin application (70% of warts), concluding that PDL is as effective as conventional treatment for simple warts [16].…”

“…Only one previous randomized clinical trial by Robson et al [16] has assessed PDL efficacy for simple warts. This trial involved 40 patients and found no significant difference in cure rates from four treatments at monthly intervals between PDL (66% of warts) and conventional treatment with cryotherapy or cantharidin application (70% of warts), concluding that PDL is as effective as conventional treatment for simple warts [16]. These findings are in accordance with the results of the present trial, as we found no significant difference between paring plus IPL and conventional paring alone.…”

“…Nevertheless, the evidence supporting IPL and lasers in the treatment of warts is very limited. No randomized trials have assessed the effect of IPL in the treatment of warts and the effect from PDL was in one randomized trial similar to conventional keratolytic treatment with no significant difference in the clearance of warts [16].…”

Treatment of Warts with Topical Curettage and PDL

“…They are a common dermatologic complaint, with an estimated incidence of 10% in children and young adults [1]. The treatment is challenging and there is no single therapy established as completely curative [2].…”