Treatment of genital warts: an overview

Abstract

Traditional treatments for human papillomavirus-associated lesions may be categorised into chemical, surgical and immunological therapies. Among chemical treatments, podophyllotoxin and trichloroacetic acid are the most commonly used. Cryotherapy, electrocautery and laser ablation constitute the main surgical approaches, while in the past decade interferons have been prescribed as an immunological treatment. The majority of current treatments are directed at lesion ablation. This clearly represents an insufficient treatment approach and should be replaced by, or used in conjunction with, a treatment which stimulates the host immunity in order to eradicate the virus. This would remove the source of re-occurrence and might also establish a stable immunity which would protect the patient from reinfection.