Indian Journal of Paediatric Dermatology (Jan 2019)
Adapalene in the management of warts in pediatric population
Abstract
Introduction: Warts are a common skin infection caused by human papillomavirus. Although any age group can be affected, plane warts and verruca vulgaris occur mostly in children and young adults. A large number of treatment modalities are available which include electrodessication, cryotherapy, topical imiquimod, tretinoin, and phenol application but most of these are not well tolerated by children owing to irritation or painful nature. Adapalene is a retinoid derivative with lesser irritant potential than tretinoin which has been tried in the management of warts. Aims: We carried out this study to assess the safety and efficacy of adapalene in the management of warts in the pediatric population. Materials and Methods: It was a prospective study carried out over a period of one and a ½ year where 50 patients in the age group of 3–18 years with different types of warts were included. After taking an informed consent from the attendants/parents of the patients, they were treated with topical bedtime application of adapalene 0.1% gel and were followed up every month for 3 months to assess the response. Exclusion criteria were extensive lesions, lesions on genitalia, eyelid involvement, secondary infection, or patients on any immunosuppressive therapies. Results: Out of 50 patients, 44 patients (M:F 25:19) completed the study. The age of patients varied from 3 to 18 years with a mean age of 11.3 ± 4.6 years. The most common type of warts in our study were plane warts in 61.36% (n = 27), followed by verruca vulgaris in 27.27% (n = 12) and plantar warts in 11.36% (n = 5). After 3 months of therapy, complete clearance of lesions was observed in 59.09% (n = 26) patients, partial clearance in 25% (n = 11) whereas no response was seen in 15.9% (n = 7) patients. Adverse effects in the form of erythema, irritation, and dryness were observed in six patients (13.64%). Conclusions: Adapalene can be used a safe and effective treatment modality in the management of plane and common warts especially in the pediatric age group.
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