Comparative Effectiveness of Cryosurgery Versus Electrocautery in the Treatment of Cutaneous Verruca Vulgaris: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66344/jpad.v36i2.3420Keywords:
Cryotherapy, electrocautery, Verruca vulgarisAbstract
Verruca vulgaris is an HPV infection requiring effective destructive management. This systematic review aims to compare the effectiveness of cryosurgery and electrocautery using recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic search was conducted across five databases (PubMed, Semantic Scholar, Springer, Google Scholar, and Wiley) under PROSPERO ID CRD420261364850. Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria using the JBI Critical Appraisal Tool. From 1,857 records. The results show that electrocautery is effective for deep lesions (cure rate of 73-76%) compared with standard cryotherapy (cure rate of 44-58%). However, cryotherapy shows an excellent safety profile with lower pain and less scarring (6.7% vs 33.3%). Cryotherapy also induces a systemic immune response (distant response: 33.3%) and a lower recurrence rate (16.6% vs 23%).
Electrocautery is more effective for rapid local tissue destruction in deep lesions, whereas cryotherapy provides a safer therapeutic approach with additional immunological benefits that may reduce long-term recurrence. Both modalities remain effective options, and treatment selection should consider lesion characteristics, patient comfort, and recurrence risk.
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