TITLE:
Huge Recalcitrant Warts Treated with Pulse Dye Laser after Conventional Therapies and Others Destructive Physical Modalities Failed
AUTHORS:
Nuno Menezes, Paulo Varela, Rita Guedes, Inês Leite, Armando Baptista
KEYWORDS:
Pulse Dye laser, Recalcitrant Warts
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications,
Vol.1 No.3,
September
20,
2011
ABSTRACT: Cutaneous infections with the human papilloma virus, despite being almost always asymptomatic, can induce slow-growing lesions knowed as warts that can remain subclinical for long periods of time. There are several therapeutical options namely keratolytics, retinoids, imiquimod, cryotherapy, electrosurgery, lasers and classic surgery, but none has antiviral effects. We describe the case of a patient with large warts located on the dorsal surface of the right hand, treated with cryotherapy, CO2 laser and topical imiquimod having either no clinical response or quick relapse. Treatment with PDL was started and after 13 sessions, the patient was without lesions, with a good cosmetic result and so far without relapse. This case report is relevant to us and deserves to be published because of the size of the lesions and the great response to PDL despite all the failures with the other treatments.