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Cutaneous warts are seen often in primary care, particularly among children, but a recent Cochrane review (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006; 3:CD001781) was inconclusive on the relative merits of the two most common treatments, salicylic acid and cryotherapy.
Dutch researchers randomized 250 patients (43% were younger than 12 years) who were recruited from 30 primary care practices with one or more new cutaneous warts (<1 cm diameter) to receive cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen every 2 weeks, daily self-applications of 40% salicylic acid gel, or no treatment for 13 weeks.
Half the patients had predominantly common warts (mainly on the hands), and half had predominantly plantar warts. Among patients with predominantly common warts, warts were s…