The role of antimetabolite medication compared with traditional technique (cryotherapy) for treatment of verrucae

Background: Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the cause of warts, which are benign skin and mucosal proliferations that typically affect the hands and feet. Due to innate immunity, warts in immune-competent individuals are benign and typically go away on their own in a matter of months or years. Fluorouracil, also known as 5-fluorouracil or 5-FU, belongs to the class of chemotherapy drugs used to treat various neoplasms. In addition, topical fluorouracil (5%) is Food and Drug Administration -approved for managing dermatologic conditions such as multiple actinic or solar keratoses and superficial basal cell carcinomas in cases where alternative methods are not feasible. Aim of the work: Compare the effectiveness of intralesional injections of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cryotherapy for the treatment of plantar warts. Patients and Methods: 60 patients with many plantar warts (more than three warts) were involved in this randomized clinical research. Patients from dermatological clinic were recruited. Results: When treating palmoplantar warts, intralesional injections of 5-fluorouracil were equally effective as cryotherapy. Conclusion: A 5-FU intralesional injection proved to be effective in treating palmoplantar warts. For palmoplantar warts, cryotherapy is also a successful treatment.