Topical calcipotriol versus liquid nitrogen spray in the treatment of palmoplantar warts: An observational study

Objective Palmoplantar warts are among the most common types of warts and are often challenging to treat. Currently, only a few effective treatments exist for palmoplantar warts. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of 0.05% topical calcipotriol ointment and liquid nitrogen spray in the treatment of palmoplantar warts. Methods Fifty-eight adult patients with palmoplantar warts were randomly assigned to two groups. Thirty patients in Group A were treated with 0.05% topical calcipotriol twice daily, while twenty-eight patients in Group B received liquid nitrogen spray biweekly. Both treatments were administered for 8 weeks. Results Statistically significant reductions in wart number and size were observed in both groups at weeks 4 and 8; however, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. Most adverse events in the calcipotriol group were mild, while those in the liquid nitrogen group included pain (82.14%), vesicular lesions (78.57%), erythema (42.86%), bleeding (3.57%), and edema (3.57%). Conclusions Both treatments demonstrated comparable efficacy; however, topical calcipotriol was safer than liquid nitrogen spray for treating palmoplantar warts. The 0.05% topical calcipotriol ointment may represent a safer alternative to liquid nitrogen spray for the treatment of palmoplantar warts.