US EPA

758786 

Journal Article 

Factors involved in clearance of genital warts 

Wilson, JD; Brown, CB; Walker, PP 

2001 

Yes 

International Journal of STD and AIDS
ISSN: 0956-4624 

12 

12 

789-792 

English 

11779368 

Consecutive patients with first presentation of external anogenital warts had the location, duration at presentation, number of warts and wart area, age, smoking and sun bed use, and presence of coexistent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) recorded. The number of treatment episodes, and number of weeks, to clear the warts were documented. Number of warts and wart area at presentation were associated with time and number of treatments to clear. Those with 1-3 warts required significantly fewer treatment episodes and less time to clear than those with 11-41 warts, as did those with warts area 2-19 mm(2) compared with wart area 100-1038 mm(2). Using survival analysis, the number of warts was significant for the number of treatments and weeks to clear. The hazard ratio for clearance with double the number of warts after 4 treatments was 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-0.76), and at 4 weeks was 0.70 (0.45-0.86). The clearance rates in non-smokers compared with smokers were higher, but not significantly different. Wart burden at presentation is an indicator of time to clearance. The number of warts is the best predictor - fewer warts results in earlier clearance. 

Genital warts; clearance; smoking