title: Warts (non-genital).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), of which there are over 100 types. HPV probably infects the skin via areas of minimal trauma. Risk factors include use of communal showers, occupational handling of meat, and immunosuppression. In immunocompetent people, warts are harmless and resolve as a result of natural immunity within months or years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of treatments for warts (non-genital)? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to October 2013 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found 17 studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this systematic, review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: intralesional bleomycin; intralesional candida antigen; contact immunotherapy; cryotherapy; duct tape occlusion; photodynamic treatment; pulsed dye laser; surgical procedures; and topical salicylic acid.
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Adventist Hospital, Hong Kong SAR.
authors.forename: Steven King-Fan
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Loo
authors.forename: William Yuk-Ming
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D001761:Bleomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017679:Cryotherapy; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D054025:Lasers, Dye; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014860:Warts / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D020156:Salicylic Acid