Successful treatment of plantar warts using topical Zijinding, a traditional Chinese medicine preparation: A case series

Abstract

Introduction Plantar warts are associated with high transmissibility and morbidity. Among the available therapeutic options, none is uniformly effective or virucidal. Salicylic acid is the first‐line therapy but approximately one‐third of lesions could not resolve and become recalcitrant despite repeated treatment. Cryotherapy is widely accessible with low cost but may be complicated by pain, blister formation, hemorrhage, infection, excessive granulation tissue formation, and hyper‐/hypo‐pigmentation. Hence, alternative treatment modalities are essential. Methods Three patients with debilitating plantar warts refractory or intolerant to cryotherapy were treated with a course of Zijinding (a traditional Chinese medicine preparation) paste prepared with white vinegar. Results All three patients showed excellent clinical response with Zijinding application with evolution of lesions to scabs and subsequently healthy skin within 1.5 to 5 months of treatment. Treatment was well tolerated and had no significant side effects with excellent compliance recorded for all three patients. There was no relapse for at least 10 months after stopping the treatment. Conclusion Topical Zijinding could be a promising alternative modality for the treatment of plantar warts. Further clinical trials on the comparison of Zijinding and other treatment modalities of plantar warts are warranted. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanism of action of Zijinding and to isolate the active ingredient.

Effectiveness and mechanism of the Chinese medicine Weiren Xiaoyou formula in improving palmoplantar warts

“…Evidence has suggested that some herbal medicines and TCM prescriptions exhibit remarkable antiviral bioactivity [ [9] , [10] , [11] ]. However, whether they can be used exclusively for the treatment of PWs in clinical practice remains unclear.…”

Arsenic Nanoparticles Trigger Apoptosis via Anoikis Induction in OECM-1 Cells

“…Several studies have shown that the antiproliferative effects of arsenic on cancer cells are caused by a combination of several factors, such as modulation of intratumoral mitochondrial integrity [ 22 , 30 ] and inflammatory response [ 31 ], reactive oxygen species generation [ 32 ], and the induction of pro-apoptotic genes and suppression of cell death resistance mechanisms [ 33 ]. Regarding skin lesions treatment, there is evidence both in vitro and in vivo that supports the use of arsenic compounds in psoriasis [ 34 ], plantar warts [ 35 ], and melanoma [ 36 ]. These findings portray AsNPs as a promising agent to be used as adjuvant therapy against other types of tumors where standard chemotherapy has limited success rates.…”