Cutaneous Warts and its Treatment: A Literature Review

Viral warts are one of the most common skin diseases. They are caused by the human papilloma virus and most commonly found on the hands and feet. HPV types 2, 4, 26, 29 and others are responsible for common warts. HPV can spread from one individual to another by direct contact or via the environment. It is not known exactly how long the infectious virus can persist outside the body, but the related bovine papillomavirus is believed to retain infectivity for months or possibly years, and the same may be true for HPV. Warts are a common skin disease worldwide. Infection is common in childhood, but can occur at any age. While warts are not harmful and usually go away in time without any treatment, they are unattractive and can be painful. The clinical appearance of warts is variable and depends to some extent on the type of HPV involved and the anatomical site. HPV can also remain dormant within epithelial cells without visible disease. Many local treatments are used to treat warts, which include salicylic acid, cryotherapy, bleomycin, 5-fluorouracil, dinitrochlorobenzene, interferon -a b c, photodynamic therapy, pulsed-dye laser, duct tape and combinational therapy such as SA and cryotherapy.