Autoinoculation Therapy for the Treatment of Widespread Cutaneous Warts

Abstract

BACKGROUND Cutaneous warts are common lesions that are often unresponsive to various therapeutic modalities. OBJECTIVE To assess the role of autoinoculation therapy in the treatment of widespread cutaneous warts. MATERIALS AND METHODS This interventional study included patients with widespread skin warts who did not respond to conventional treatments. Two methods were used to perform the autoinoculation therapy. The first procedure was performed by obtaining a small piece of the wart and inoculating it into a subcutaneous pocket. The second method was developed by the investigator and was performed by inserting a needle into the center of the wart toward the nearby subcutaneous tissue, with multiple forward and backward movements in several directions around the lesion. RESULTS The prospective study included 23 patients. The illness duration ranged from 3 months to 5 years. Autoinoculation interventions revealed full recovery of all warts in 20 cases (87%) within 20 to 90 days (mean: 40.7 days). CONCLUSION Autoinoculation procedures demonstrated effectiveness, less cost, lesser pain, less invasiveness, without leaving skin scars in comparison with other conventional therapies.