Clinical effect of surgical removal combined with 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy for plantar warts

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of surgical operation combined with photodynamic therapy for plantar warts. Methods From July 2017 to June 2018, 16 patients with plantar warts were enrolled in the Department of Dermatology, the Fifth People's Hospital of Suzhou City. The enrolled patients aged 10 to 42 years, including 12 males and 4 females, with a course of 4 to 15 month, and a total of 47 plantar warts. The plantar warts was removed by surgical operation and bipolar coagulation, followed by the photodynamic treatment with 5-aminolevulinic acid for 3 to 4 times with an interval of 7-10 days. Results Eleven patients showed complete clearance after operation and three times photodynamic treatments, and the other 5 patients underwent 2 operations and four times photodynamic treatments. 47 plantar warts in 16 patients were disappeared completely during 6-month post-treatment follow up. The plantar warts clearance rate was 100%, and the skin texture still presented. In addition to local mild erythematous, pain and burning sensation presented after surgery, but no adverse reactions such as infection, ulcers and obvious scars occurred. Conclusions Surgery combined with 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy is a favorable treatment for plantar warts. Key words: Metatarsus; Warts; Surgical procedures; Photodynamic therapy; Aminolevulinic acid