492
Views
3
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review Articles

Clinical use of zinc in viral warts: a systematic review of the clinical trials

, , &
Pages 1878-1887 | Received 28 Feb 2021, Accepted 06 Jun 2021, Published online: 28 Jun 2021
 

Abstract

Background

Zinc has shown promise in the treatment of patients with viral warts in several clinical trials, but there is no consensus on its effectiveness.

Objective

To investigate the efficacy of various formulations of zinc on cutaneous warts.

Data sources

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PUBMED, and Web of Science without publishing-time restriction. Trials examining zinc in the treatment of warts were collected.

Results

Out of 265 articles, a total of 16 met inclusion criteria. Six clinical trials investigated the clinical effectiveness of oral zinc supplementation alone in treating viral warts, two trials evaluated the efficacy of oral zinc in combination with other therapy, five trials investigated the efficacy of intralesional zinc sulfate, and three trials investigated topical zinc treatment efficacy. Zinc therapy was found to be beneficial in 13 of 16 studies evaluating its effects on warts.

Conclusions

The use of zinc is a simple, safe, and cost-effective treatment in viral warts based on some preliminary evidence. However, more well-designed studies need to be performed to further evaluate the effect of zinc on warts.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.