HOW ARE WARTS TREATED?
Treatment of warts in any location may be difficult, and recurrences are always possible following any treatment. The treatment selected will depend on the number of warts, their specific location, and other factors. Genital warts can be treated in the doctor’s office with surgery or with chemicals. Surgery includes simple excision, removal with an electric needle, freezing (usually with liquid nitrogen), or laser excision. These therapies may be painful, may involve some loss of blood, and may make a person more susceptible to a bacterial infection during the healing phase. Chemical medications include acids (e.g. bichloroacetic acid or trichloroacetic acid), 5-fluorouracil cream (a drug used to treat cancer), and podophyllin. These chemicals can be irritating and may cause serious burns if accidentally placed on normal skin. Podophyllin is a crude plant extract that is applied in a doctor’s office usually every one to two weeks. Since these surgical and chemically destructive treatme
