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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.
Keywords:
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).