Comparison of The Efficacy of Intralesional 5-Fluorouracil Injection with Cryotherapy to Treat Plantar Warts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i7.2489Keywords:
Abbottabad, Cryotherapy, Dermatology, Efficacy, Fluorouracil, Plantar warts, Randomized controlled trialAbstract
Background: Plantar warts are painful growth on the sole of feet caused by human papillomavirus. It makes walking and standing difficult and also look unpleasant. Many treatment methods are used but no one gives full success. Some heal with time but many stay for long and need medical care. Intralesional 5-fluorouracil and cryotherapy are both common methods but their result still not same in every study. In local areas, many patients do not get right treatment due to low awareness, so comparing both can help find better and simple option for routine use. Objective: To compare the efficacy of intralesional 5-fluorouracil injection with cryotherapy for the treatment of plantar warts. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Duration and Place of Study: This study was conducted from December 2024 to May 2025 at the Department of Dermatology, CMH Abbottabad. Methodology: Sixty patients with plantar warts were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group A received intralesional 5-fluorouracil injection (50 mg/ml) every two weeks up to six sessions, and Group B was treated with cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen every two weeks for four sessions. Treatment was called effective if wart disappeared or reduced by seventy-five percent. Data were analyzed with Chi-square test and p ≤ 0.05 was taken significant. Results: Intralesional 5-fluorouracil showed efficacy in 63.3% of patients while cryotherapy in 30.0% with significant difference (p = 0.010). Age, gender, and duration had no major effect on result. Conclusion: Intralesional 5-fluorouracil was more successful and safe than cryotherapy, giving better healing and fewer side effects for plantar wart patients.
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