Comparison of Efficacy between Intra-Lesional Vitamin D3 and Cryotherapy in the Treatment of Common Viral Warts

Objective: This study compares the efficacy of intralesional Vitamin-D3 (IL-D3) and cryotherapy in treating common viral warts, focusing on treatment outcomes, side effects, and factors influencing efficacy. Methods: A quasi-experimental design involving 100 patients at Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, was employed. Patients were divided into two groups: Group “A” received IL-D3, and Group “B” underwent cryotherapy. Treatment outcomes were assessed over six months, with follow-up evaluations at two-week intervals and a final assessment at six weeks post-treatment. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 25.0. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize baseline characteristics, including means and standard deviations for continuous variables and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. Chi-square tests were utilized to compare categorical variables between groups. The statistical significance was set at p ≤0.05. Results: Among the 100 patients, 58% were men, and 42% were women. The mean ages were 23.72±14.10 in Group A and 22.44±10.28 in Group B. Warts were primarily on the foot (56%) and less frequently on the hand (22%) or both (4.7%). Single warts were more common (65%) than multiple warts (35%). Side effects included pain (35%), blisters (9%), and no side effects (56%). Cryotherapy appears to have a higher proportion of patients achieving excellent reduction of warts compared to IL-D3 (21% vs. 11%). No statistically significant difference was seen in efficacy in either treatment group.  Conclusion: The frequency of reduction of warts was higher with cryotherapy than with intralesional vitamin D3 for the treatment of common warts.