Poster: Topical Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) In The Treatment Of Recalcitrant Warts (For Professionals)
Poster: Topical Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) In The Treatment Of Recalcitrant Warts (For Professionals)
- Warts have a spontaneous resolutive evolution most of the time but in the meantime numerous treatments are often tried and even after clearance the warts can reappear.
- The following is a retrospective study on the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in recalcitrant viral warts (warts persisting after one year (average 3 years duration (1 – 10 years range) with two of any treatment modality*)
- A total of 29 patients (23 female, 6 male) (average age 42 years old) were included in the study. Treatment consisted of two treatments spaced by one week consisting of red light (631nm, 37 J/cm2) after topical application of methyl amino levulinic acid. Evaluation of treatment result was carried out after 3 months.
- Location of the warts was as follows:
- plantar = 20
- hands = 5
- hands and feet = 3
- filliform facial warts = 1
- Results show complete wart clearance in 17 cases (59% of cases), partial clearance in one case and no response in 11 cases.
- Our conclusion is that topical PDT can be tried and that complete response can be observed a little bit more than in half the cases treated. However a prospective study is required for this quite expensive treatment and CO2 laser (10600nm) might be just effective. Nothing can be said about the efficacy or inefficacy of the treatment in immunocompromised individuals can be said as only three patients (2 post renal transplant, 1 with rheumatoid arthritis) were included in this retrospective study.
* Treatments tried were numerous but cryotherapy and topical salicyclic acid which are according to us the most effective were never mentioned
Contributors:
Dr Christophe HSU – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland
Source of information. Desai T. Topical Photodynamic Therapy for Treatment of Recalcitrant Warts. 19th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Gothenburg (Göteborg) – Sweden (Sverige)
