Viral Warts

SKINspecialist.co.za

home | about | skin conditions | treatments & Procedures | linksWelcome.htmlAbout.htmlSkin_conditions.htmlTreatments.htmlLinks.htmlhttp://livepage.apple.com/shapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2shapeimage_3_link_3shapeimage_3_link_4
 

Terminology:


Viral warts (English) = Verruca vulgaris (Latin)


Viral warts are common growths that can occur anywhere on the body. 


Types of warts


Common warts

Plantar warts - soles of feet

Genital warts - on genitalia

Mosaic warts (soles of feet)

Filiform warts (long warts that stick out like hairs)

Plane warts (flat warts especially on the face)


Treatments available for warts


Duofilm - a liquid containing salicylic acid and lactic acid, that needs to be applied on the warts for several weeks.

Podophyllin - applied by the doctor and washed off in 4 hours.  Particularly useful for genital warts

Cantharidin - the fluid secreted by the blister beetle.  This is applied directly on the wart.  A blister forms and the wart comes off when the blister dries and heals.

Liquid nitrogen - the most common method used by dermatologists

Electrocautery and curettage - this procedure is carried out under local anaesthesia and may scar.

Interferon injections - given three times a week for 3 weeks - 9 injections per wart.

CO2 laser - this procedure produces results similar to electrocautery.

Vascular laser - for resistant warts, this is a useful type of treatment

Bleomycin injections - can be quite painful and not used on the fingers, toes or genitalia.


Candida Antigen treatment of viral warts


Candida Antigen therapy is a novel and amazing treatment for viral warts.


In patients with multiple viral warts, a single wart is injected with Candida Antigen once a month for three months.


When successful, not only the injected wart but all other warts on the body disappear.


Further, the treatment seems to confer immunity to the patient against the development of further viral warts.


The success of the treatment is 70% disappearance of the injected wart while 50% of distant, non-injected warts disappear.


Candida antigen has been available since 1948 as a skin test for immunity.  In 1977, Prof Harada from Japan demonstrated that injection of candida Antigen into viral warts result in their successful disappearance.  This information was published in the Japanese literature and was unavailable to the West until the early 90's. 


The first western report of its successful use appeared in the bulletin of the American Family Practitioners Association in the USA in 1990.  Since then, numerous reports have appeared in the literature, demonstrating its successful use.