title: Efficacy of duct tape vs placebo in the treatment of verruca vulgaris (warts) in primary school children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy of duct tape compared with placebo in the treatment of verruca vulgaris.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized placebo-controlled trial in 3 primary schools in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred three children aged 4 to 12 years with verruca vulgaris.
  
  
  METHODS
  Duct tape applied to the wart or placebo, a corn pad (protection ring for clavi), applied around the wart for 1 night a week. Both treatments were applied for a period of 6 weeks. Patients were blinded to the hypothesis of the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Complete resolution of the treated wart.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 6 weeks, the wart had disappeared in 16% of the children in the duct tape group compared with 6% in the placebo group (P = .12). The estimated effect of duct tape compared with placebo on diameter reduction of the treated wart was 1.0 mm (P = .02, 95% confidence interval, -1.7 to -0.1). After 6 weeks, in 7 children (21%) in the duct tape group, a surrounding wart had disappeared compared with 9 children (27%) in the placebo group (P = .79). Fifteen percent of the children in the duct tape group reported adverse effects such as erythema, eczema, and wounds compared with 0 in the placebo group (P = .14).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a 6-week trial, duct tape had a modest but nonsignificant effect on wart resolution and diameter reduction when compared with placebo in a cohort of primary school children.
authors.affiliation: Departments of General Practice and Dermatology, Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marloes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Haen
authors.forename: Marcus G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Spigt
authors.forename: Caro J T
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: van Uden
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van Neer
authors.forename: Frans J M
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Feron
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knottnerus
mesh_terms: D000269:Adhesives; D001458:Bandages / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014860:Warts / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000269:Adhesives