May 05, 2015
Pediatric Dermatology
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TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
- Children under 18 years old with warts (N = 214) and their families were contacted via telephone survey regarding wart management and resolution. The majority of children received some kind of therapy, but treatment was not associated with changes in time to resolution. However, children with a medical history of childhood infections or multiple affected sites had a significantly longer time to resolution.
- Warts resolved in most children within 2 to 4 years (65% and 80% resolved at 2 and 4 years, respectively), and treatment did not appear to affect time to resolution. This is useful information when counseling children and parents and deciding how aggressively to treat warts.
– Sarah Churton, MD
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The purpose is to investigate the demographics and course of common warts in children in an outpatient setting.
METHODS
A retrospective medical chart review and telephone survey study were completed on an outpatient cohort of children (0-17 yrs) with a clinical diagnosis of warts at a single-center, university-based pediatric dermatology practice. The main outcome measures included management, time to resolution, and associated factors of warts in children.
RESULTS
Of the 254 patients we contacted, 214 agreed to participate in the survey. The most commonly involved sites were the hands and the head and neck area. Most children received some form of therapy, but it is unclear that any form of treatment altered the course. However, children with a medical history of childhood infections or more than one anatomic site had significantly greater risk of having a longer time to resolution.
CONCLUSION
Warts resolved in 65% of children by 2 years and in 80% within 4 years, regardless of treatment. With the exception of a history of childhood infections and having more than one anatomic site, time to resolution was not altered by wart or patient characteristics. Thus counseling without aggressive destructive treatment is a reasonable approach to managing warts in most children. Our findings will provide guidance in the process of shared decision making with parents and children.