Abstract
Cryosurgery is a method of selectively destroying unwanted tissue using cold liquids or gasses. The aim is to cause maximum tissue destruction in the target lesion with minimal collateral damage to the surrounding healthy structures. Cryosurgery has the unique action of “cryoimmune stimulation”, whereby some of the wart virus is released from the frozen tissue after cryosurgery, presenting wart antigen to the immune system. This acts like a vaccine, helping the body to fight off the HPV in the treated and sometimes even distant untreated warts. Patients who have a suppressed immune system are less likely to benefit from “cryoimmunestimulation”. Combining imiquimod 5% with cryosurgery may enhance this response and this is known as immunocryosurgery.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Buckley D. Cryosurgery for warts. In: Pasquali P, editor. Cryosurgery. A practical manual. 1st ed. Cham: Springer; 2015. p. 107–19. isbn:978-3-662-43938-8.
Gaitanis G, Nomikos K, Vava E, Alexopoulos EC, Bassukas ID. Immunocryosurgery for basal cell carcinoma: results of a pilot, prospective, open-label study of cryosurgery during continued imiquimod application. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2009;23(12):1427–31.
Baust JG, Gage AA, Robilottto AT, Baust JM. The pathophysiology of thermoablation: optimizing cryoablation. Curr Opin Urol. 2009;19(2):127–32.
Buckley D. Evaluation of local anaesthetic infiltration for cryosurgery of hand warts: a prospective comparative study. Ir J Med Sci. 2016;185(3):561–4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-015-1301-x.
Buckley D. Cryosurgery treatment of plantar warts in general practice. Ir Med J. 2000;93(5):140–3.
Buckley D. Re: The freeze–thaw cycle in cryosurgery. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2017;31:e405–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.14215.
Gaitanis G, Bassukas ID. Immunocryosurgery for nonmelanoma skin cancer. Applications and practical tips. In: Pasquali P, editor. Cryosurgery. A practical manual. Cham: Springer; 2015. p. 245–58.
Al-Gurairi FT, Al-Waiz M, Sharquie KE. Oral zinc sulphate in the treatment of recalcitrant viral warts: randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Br J Dermatol. 2002;146:423–31.
Mun JH, Kim SH, Jung DS, Ko HC, Kim BS, Kwon KS, Kim MB. Oral zinc sulfate treatment for viral warts: an open-label study. J Dermatol. 2011 Jun;38(6):541–5.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Buckley, D. (2021). Cryosurgery for Warts in General Practice. In: Buckley, D., Pasquali, P. (eds) Textbook of Primary Care Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29101-3_59
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29101-3_59
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-29100-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-29101-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)