Cantharidin for Wart Treatment
Examples
| cantharidin |
Cantharone, Cantharone Plus |
Cantharidin is a chemical derived from the green blister
beetle.
How It Works
Your doctor "paints" cantharidin on your
wart and covers it with a bandage. This is generally
painless. The cantharidin causes the skin under the wart to blister, lifting
the wart off the skin. When the blister dries, the wart comes off with the
blistered skin. You may feel some pain when the skin blisters. When you see
your doctor again, he or she will remove the dead skin and the
wart. If the wart isn't gone after one treatment, you may need another
treatment.
Why It Is Used
Cantharidin is sometimes used if salicylic acid or freezing a wart
with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy) has not successfully eliminated it.
Cantharidin should not be used:
- On people with
diabetes,
peripheral arterial disease, or other circulatory
problems.
- On moles, birthmarks, unusual warts with hair growing
from them, warts on the
mucous membranes, or open wounds.
- In
combination with another chemical agent.
- On or near the genital
area.
How Well It Works
Cantharidin may be effective against some warts that are resistant
to other treatments. After the wart is gone, there usually is no scarring.
Side Effects
Cantharidin may cause:
- Tingling, itching, or burning within a few
hours of applying it to the skin.
- Very tender skin for 2 to 6 days.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference
is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
Cantharidin can be used to treat warts that are resistant to other
forms of treatment. It is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for the treatment of warts.
Cantharidin is not well-researched or widely used.
Although cantharidin does not hurt when it's applied, the resulting
blister can be painful.
Cantharidin has a low risk of scarring.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
Credits
|
By
|
Healthwise Staff |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology |
|
Last Revised
|
September 2, 2010 |
Last Revised:
September 2, 2010
