The treatment of plantar warts using microwave—A review of 85 consecutive cases in the United States

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundPlantar warts (verrucae plantaris) are a common source of pain for patients and are often refractory to treatment. Previous work has shown a high clearance rate of verrucae using a surface‐based microwave device (Swift®).AimsTo assess the efficacy, defined as the complete visible clearance of warts, in patients with verrucae plantaris receiving microwave treatment.PatientsWe undertook a retrospective review and identified records of 85 patients who underwent a course of microwave treatment at a single US‐based podiatry centre. Efficacy was analyzed on the basis on intention‐to‐treat.ResultsIn patients who received ≥1 session there was a complete clearance rate of 60.0% (51/85) (intention‐to‐treat; 59 patients completed treatment, 26 lost to follow‐up) and 86.4% (51/59) per treatment completion; no significant differences in clearance rates of children and adults were observed (61.0% [25/41] vs. 59.1% [26/44]). There were 31 patients who received three sessions of microwave therapy with a clearance rate of 71.0% (22/31) as per intention‐to‐treat (27 patients completed treatment, 4 lost to follow‐up). An average of 2.3 sessions (SD: 1.1; range: 1–6) was required for the complete clearance of plantar warts. Complete clearance was also observed in some patients with recalcitrant warts following additional treatment sessions (42.9% [3/7]). A significant reduction in wart related pain was reported for all patients undergoing treatment. Some patients continued to report a reduced amount of pain post‐therapy compared with pretherapy.ConclusionsMicrowave treatment of verrucae plantaris appears to be a safe and effective procedure.