Topical zinc oxide vs. salicylic acid–lactic acid combination in the treatment of warts

Abstract

Topical zinc oxide is an efficacious, painless, and safe therapeutic option for wart treatment.

British Association of Dermatologists' guidelines for the management of cutaneous warts 2014

“…154 In a double-blinded RCT of zinc oxide 20% vs. an SA/lactic acid ointment, 50% of patients achieved clearance in the zinc oxide group compared with 42% in the SA/lactic acid group. 155 It is a simple and safe treatment but has not been compared with placebo.…”

Alternative Medicine in Pediatric Dermatology: What Is the Evidence?

“…A double blind, randomized control trial of 44 patients determined that twice daily application of 20 % zinc oxide ointment achieved a cure rate of 50 % after 3 months [52]. This was higher than the 42 % cure rate achieved by a salicylic/lactic acid ointment combination [53].…”

Zinc Therapy in Dermatology: A Review

“…Complete clearance of plane warts was seen in 85.7% and 42.8% cases from topical 10% and 5% zinc sulphate solution, respectively, while complete clearance was also seen in 11% and 5% of patients with common warts using 10% and 5% zinc sulphate solution, respectively, which was statistically insignificant. Khattar et al [7] observed that topical 20% zinc oxide was more effective than ointment containing salicylic acid (15%) and lactic acid (15%) for the treatment of warts in a randomized double-blind controlled trial of 44 patients. A complete cure was observed after 3 months in 50% patients with common warts in zinc oxide group as compared to 42% in the other group.…”