Salicylic Acid Is as Effective as Cryotherapy for Plantar Warts

And costs were lower for home-administered salicylic acid treatment.


In this multicenter trial, U.K. investigators compared the effectiveness of self-treatment with 50% salicylic acid versus clinician-delivered cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen for treating plantar warts.

The 240 study participants (age, ?12) were randomized to daily self-treatment with salicylic acid for a maximum of 8 weeks or to as many as four cryotherapy treatments 2 to 3 weeks apart. At 12 weeks, 14% of patients in each group exhibited complete clearance of plantar warts. At 6 months, 31% of patients in the salicylic-acid group and 34% in the cryotherapy group had complete clearance of plantar warts — an insignificant difference. Time to clearance did not differ between groups.


Citation(s):

Cockayne S et al. Cryotherapy versus salicylic acid for the treatment of plantar warts (verrucae): A randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2011 Jun 7; 342:d3271.