26294 Successful treatment of refractory plantar wart with duct tape

Abstract

Recurrent warts are often the result of a poor to absent immune response from the host and are a therapeutic challenge because no medication exists that eradicates the virus or targets its replication. We report a case of duct tape therapy achieving complete resolution of a persistent, plantar wart that was refractory to multiple treatment modalities for several years. A 22-year-old female presented for treatment of a wart on the right great toe that had been present for over 10 years and refractory to multiple treatments. The examination showed a 2.5 cm × 3.0 cm hyperkeratotic verrucous plaque extending from the base to the middle of the plantar aspect of the first metatarsal on the right foot. Duct tape was applied to the wart over the course of a year and a half, somewhat inconsistently, but with no additional treatments administered other than 2 electrodessication and curettage procedures. The wart gradually reduced in size 10 months after initiation of therapy, and within 1.5 years there was complete resolution of the wart. Four months later, there continued to be no recurrence. Despite variable evidence from recent clinical trials regarding its efficacy, our case showed that duct tape therapy was a successful, relatively easy, and painless means of treating a persistent plantar wart. Its potential to be a primary treatment for cutaneous warts will require further rigorous trials to verify its efficacy as monotherapy or in combination with other established methods.