Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 57, Issue 6 , Pages 1019-1020, December 2007

An in vitro study comparing temperatures of over-the-counter wart preparations with liquid nitrogen

  • Craig G. Burkhart, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, Ohio
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Craig G. Burkhart, MD, MPH, University of Toledo College of Medicine, 5600 Monroe St, Suite 106B, Sylvania, OH 43560.
    • ,
  • Irene Pchalek, BIS

      Affiliations

    • Private practice, Sylvania, Ohio
    • ,
  • Melissa Adler

      Affiliations

    • Private practice, Sylvania, Ohio
    • ,
  • Craig N. Burkhart, MD, MSBS

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatric Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois

Accepted 26 June 2007. published online 24 August 2007.

Background

Over-the-counter (OTC) wart-freezing therapies have appeared on the market claiming that they reproduce in-office cryotherapy.

Objective

We sought to determine whether these OTC home wart removal products are as cold as liquid nitrogen.

Methods

The coldness obtained by 3 representative commercial wart products, and liquid nitrogen, was assessed using a thermometer calibrated from –100°C to 50°C. Temperatures of the commercial wart products used were measured and compared with those obtained with liquid nitrogen.

Results

None of the OTC coolants were as cold as liquid nitrogen, and they did not lower temperature as quickly as liquid nitrogen.

Limitations

This study did not evaluate the clinical efficacy of any of the agents studied.

Conclusions

Despite advertising messages, OTC refrigerants do not achieve freezing equivalent to liquid nitrogen.

 

 Funding sources: None.

 Conflicts of interest: None declared.

PII: S0190-9622(07)01057-2

doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2007.06.037

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 57, Issue 6 , Pages 1019-1020, December 2007