treatment of warts and molluscum what does the evidence show

RECENT FINDINGS: Over recent years, two further trials of the most commonly used treatments for warts, salicylic acid

and cryotherapy, have been performed and for molluscum contagiosum, there is growing evidence for the use of irritants. For both infections, there are new evaluations of immunological approaches to therapy.

Full Answer

How to successfully get rid of warts?

Method 1 Method 1 of 5: Using Medically Verified Remedies

1. Warts are caused by HPV (human papillomavirus) and as such, can take quite a bit of time to eliminate naturally by one's immune system.
2. Use salicylic acid or 100% Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA). Salicylic acid is found in a lot of over-the-counter wart removers. ...
3. Use duct tape. ...
4. Apply cantharidin. ...
5. Try liquid nitrogen. ...
6. Burn the wart off. ...

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What is the best treatment to remove warts?

If you prefer not to wait it out, you have several treatment options:

• Salicylic acid. This is the main ingredient in aspirin, and it should usually be your first choice. ...
• Freezing. In this treatment, also called cryotherapy, a clinician swabs or sprays liquid nitrogen onto the wart and a small surrounding area. ...
• Duct tape. ...
• Other agents. ...
• Zapping and cutting. ...

How to treat warts naturally at home?

How To Treat Warts Naturally At Home – Best Home Remedies:

1. Basil: This is the very first tip on how to treat warts at home naturally that I would like to reveal in the article today and want my readers ...
2. Banana Peel: Banana peel has powerful antioxidant properties that can successfully help to reduce and cure warts.
3. Castor Oil: Castor oil is also a great tip on how to treat warts at home naturally. ...

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Is there natural cure for warts?

What are natural treatments for warts?

1. Apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a popular wart treatment that circulates on internet sites. ...
2. Boost your immune system. Warts are caused by a virus, so one of the best ways to get rid of them is to boost your body’s ability to fight ...
3. Stop the spread. ...
4. Use pineapple. ...
5. Baking powder. ...
6. Vitamins. ...
7. Aspirin. ...
8. Tea tree oil. ...
9. Bee propolis. ...
10. Aloe vera. ...

Does wart treatment work on molluscum?

Salicylic acid: Often used to treat warts, this can be effective for molluscum as well.

How would you describe molluscum contagiosum on a physical exam?

Overview. Patients with molluscum contagiosum usually appear well and healthy. Physical examination of patients with molluscum contagiosum is usually remarkable for skin papules that are small, shiny, and firm.

Why is molluscum called water warts?

Sometimes they are called “water warts” because they are spread in the pool and shared tubs as well. The bumps are usually painless but may be itchy, cosmetically undesirable and can last for up to 2 years. After contact with the virus that causes them, MC may incubate for 8 weeks before appearing on the skin.

What does liquid nitrogen do to molluscum?

Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the wart or molluscum. The freezing will cause the wart or molluscum and some of the surrounding skin to blister. Most often the blister forms 6 to 8 hours after the treatment. Sometimes the wart may blister right away; others may never blister.

What is the treatment of molluscum contagiosum?

Physical removal of lesions may include cryotherapy (freezing the lesion with liquid nitrogen), curettage (the piercing of the core and scraping of caseous or cheesy material), and laser therapy.

How does molluscum resolve?

Because molluscum clears on its own over months to a few years, treatment is not needed if the bumps are not bothersome. There is no reason to keep children home from day care or school. The vast majority of people with molluscum, even those with many persistent bumps, have normal immune systems.

Why is my wart turning white?

Wart-Removing Acid: If there are many warts, treat the 3 largest ones. Since it's an acid, avoid getting any near the eyes or mouth. Also try to keep it off the normal skin. The acid will turn the wart into dead skin (it will turn white).

Can you get molluscum twice?

Molluscum contagiosum is not like herpes viruses which can remain dormant (“sleeping”) in your body for long periods of time and then reappear. If you get new molluscum contagiosum lesions after you are cured, it means you have come in contact with an infected person or object again.

Is it okay to pop water warts?

Molluscum contagiosum stages As time passes they continue to grow in size and develop white or yellow heads full of pus, often with a characteristic indentation (third image from the left - the purulent stage). These can be popped, however, you are advised not to do so as this can spread the infection.

How effective is cryotherapy for molluscum?

A prospective, randomized and comparative trial55 evaluated the efficacy of cryotherapy in MC treatment. The study demonstrated a complete clearance in 70.7% of the patients at 3 weeks and in 100% of them at 16 weeks. Another study56 showed full clearance in 83.3% of 60 patients (average age of 20 years) at 6 weeks.

What triggers molluscum?

Causes of molluscum contagiosum (MC) close direct contact – such as touching the skin of an infected person. touching contaminated objects – such as towels, flannels, toys and clothes. sexual contact – this includes intimate physical contact as well as sexual intercourse.

How long does it take for molluscum to go away after cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy: this treatment option involves your clinician applying liquid nitrogen which freezes the virus. You may experience stinging and burning during treatment at the treated site which is usually mild. The area treated usually heals within few days to a week.

How to treat warts on a mollos?

For warts, one can apply duct tape with or without over-the-counter salicylic acid products, use topical prescription medications (aldara, retin-A, podo phyllin, etc), or have in-office, more effective treatments including liquid nitrogen, cantharidin (“beetlejuice”), electrosurgery (burning) and curettage (scraping) or excision. For molloscum, one can try over the counter lemon myrtle essential oil or tea tree oil with iodine, use topical prescription retin-A, or have in-office treatments with cryotherapy, cantharidin, or curettage (scraping).

Is a wart a viral infection?

Warts and molloscum are viral overgrowths of the skin. They are benign but contagious, and can spread anywhere on the body, including the mouth and ano genital skin. A wart is a growth of the human papillomavirus, while a molloscum is a growth of the molloscum contagious (MC) virus.

Can you get rid of warts on your face?

A: The answer is both yes and no. We can say no by using the treatments mentioned, one can get rid of the current warts and molloscum. We can say yes because unfortunately they can come back or new spots can develop at other locations at any time. It is necessary to continue to monitor your skin, and if a new spot develops, make your appointment with Michigan Dermatology Institute to help keep these stubborn spots in check.

How to treat molluscum?

When your dermatologist uses cantharidin (beetle juice) to treat molluscum, you need to wash it off at home with soap and water to prevent a serious skin irritation. When applied by a dermatologist, this is a safe and effective treatment for molluscum.

How do dermatologists diagnose molluscum contagiosum?

A board-certified dermatologist can often diagnose this condition by looking at the bumps on your skin.

What is the best treatment for molluscum bumps?

Curettage: During this treatment, your dermatologist uses a medical device called a curette to remove the molluscum bumps from the skin. In skilled hands, this is a simple and effective treatment that causes little or no bleeding.

What is molluscum in HIV?

A chronic skin condition, such as eczema. Molluscum in the genital area. A weakened immune system and numerous bumps. Extremely bothersome molluscum. Antiretroviral treatment can clear molluscum in HIV-positive patients: If someone is HIV-positive, the bumps can grow large and cover large areas of skin.

How often do you need to return to a molluscum clinic?

Because new molluscum can form, you will need to return for treatment every 2 to 3 weeks until the bumps clear. Cryotherapy can be painful, so it’s not recommended for young children. Due to the pain, it’s seldom used to treat patients who have many molluscum bumps.

How long does it take for molluscum to clear?

For most people the skin will clear without treatment, usually within 18 months. A few people continue to have bumps for longer. Treating molluscum may clear the skin more quickly; however, the bumps can return after treatment. It’s also possible to pick up the virus again, which can cause new bumps.

What is the best medicine for eczema?

Cimetidine: This medication is used to treat ulcers and conditions that cause the stomach to produce too much acid, such as heartburn. It may also be a treatment option for a patient who has severe eczema (atopic dermatitis) and molluscum that covers most of the body.

How to remove mollusca lesions?

Gradual removal of lesions may be achieved by oral therapy. This technique is often desirable for pediatric patients because it is generally less painful and may be performed by parents at home in a less threatening environment. Oral cimetidine has been used as an alternative treatment for small children who are either afraid of the pain associated with cryotherapy, curettage, and laser therapy or because the possibility of scarring is to be avoided. While cimetidine is safe, painless, and well tolerated, facial mollusca do not respond as well as lesions elsewhere on the body.

What are the treatment options?

Because molluscum contagiosum is self-limited in healthy individuals, treatment may be unnecessary. Nonetheless, issues such as lesion visibility, underlying atopic disease, and the desire to prevent transmission may prompt therapy.

What is the best way to remove a lesion?

Physical removal. Physical removal of lesions may include cryotherapy (freezing the lesion with liquid nitrogen), curettage (the piercing of the core and scraping of caseous or cheesy material), and laser therapy.

What is podophyllotoxin cream?

Podophyllotoxin cream (0.5%) is reliable as a home therapy for men but is not recommended for pregnant women because of presumed toxicity to the fetus. Each lesion must be treated individually as the therapeutic effect is localized. Other options for topical therapy include iodine and salicylic acid, potassium hydroxide, tretinoin, cantharidin (a blistering agent usually applied in an office setting), and imiquimod (T cell modifier). Imiquimod has not been proven effective for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in children and is not recommended for children due to possible adverse events. These treatments must be prescribed by a health care professional.

Is molluscum contagiosum a marker for HIV?

Low CD4 cell counts have been linked to wide spread facial mollusca and therefore have become a marker for severe HIV disease. Thus far, therapies targeted at boosting the immune system have proven the most effective therapy for molluscum contagiosum in immunocompromised persons.

Is Imiquimod safe for children?

Imiquimod has not been proven effective for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum in children and is not recommended for children due to possible adverse events. These treatments must be prescribed by a health care professional.

Can you remove fluid from a lesion?

It is not a good idea to try and remove lesions or the fluid inside of lesions yourself. By removing lesions or lesion fluid by yourself you may unintentionally autoinoculate other parts of the body or risk spreading it to others. By scratching or scraping the skin you could cause a bacterial infection.

What is a dome shaped papule?

Molluscum. These tiny dome-shaped papules show a predilection for children with atopic dermatitis, suggesting that impaired skin barrier can enhance their spread 13. Maddeningly, they often induce an associated dermatitis that makes for a difficult chicken-or-egg situation, with increasing misery for the patient.

Is lemon myrtle good for molluscum?

In a study of 31 children, 56% of those treated with once daily application of lemon myrtle had a 90% reduction in molluscum, compared to none in the control group 17. The treatment appeared safe and was well-tolerated, suggesting that this could be a promising approach.

Is imiquimod effective for molluscum?

I adamantly agree with Dr. Katz that imiquimod is not effective for molluscum, and, in fact, can cause significant harm 14.

Does Propolis have immunomodulatory functions?

Remarkably, there is some evidence that propolis has immunomodulatory functions 10, and it has been shown to have a positive effect in the treatment of aphthous stomatitis, mouth ulceration, and the prevention of otitis media 11.

Does zinc help with warts?

Warts. Zinc, as an oral supplement, may play a role in enhancing immunity, particularly against viral infections 4. In a study of 31 patients with warts, administration of oral zinc (as zinc sulfate) resulted in complete resolution in half the patients 5.

Can atopic dermatitis cause dome shaped papules?

These tiny dome-shaped papules show a predilection for children with atopic dermatitis, suggesting that impaired skin barrier can enhance their spread 13. Maddeningly, they often induce an associated dermatitis that makes for a difficult chicken-or-egg situation, with increasing misery for the patient. Finally, a staphylococcal superinfection can develop, forcing anyone to question just how “benign” and “self-limited” this condition really is.

Does tea tree oil help molluscum?

Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) has antimicrobial properties and also can be irritating, both of which could theoretically be of help in molluscum. A provocative study examined tea tree oil for molluscum, but complicated things slightly by adding iodine to it without clear purpose for one of the groups, though this was a proprietary product in the study. Fifty-three children with molluscum were treated twice daily with tea tree oil bound to iodine compared to tea tree oil alone or iodine alone. At 4 weeks they evaluated for 90% clearance of molluscum and found that 56% met this mark in the tea tree oil plus iodine group, while only 17% in the pure tea tree oil group and 6% in the iodine group met this goal 18. The authors reported no adverse effects, although there are multiple reports of contact allergy to topically applied tea tree oil, and this must be considered 19.