Intralesional Vitamin D3 Proven Effective and Affordable for Treating Cutaneous Warts: Study

A new study published in the Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons - Pakistan showed that for cutaneous warts, intralesional vitamin D3 is a cost-effective and efficient therapy alternative.

Common benign skin lesions called cutaneous warts are brought on by an infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). In around 65–78% of instances, they resolve on their own and are often asymptomatic. The majority of wart patients seek treatment because they are unsightly and occasionally because of the pain or tenderness that specific wart types (such as plantar and periungual warts) cause.

Warts can be treated using a variety of modalities, such as topical medications (such as salicylic acid, trichloroacetic acid, etc.) and physical destructive techniques (such as electrocoagulation, cryotherapy, or laser therapy). Immunotherapeutic techniques are gaining popularity in the treatment of warts because of their shown effectiveness and simplicity of administration. Instead of merely removing the skin lesions, they work by promoting the host cell-mediated immunity to eradicate the virus.

Intralesional vitamin D has emerged as a promising therapy option for cutaneous warts in a number of recent trials. Thus, to ascertain the function of intralesional vitamin D3 in the management of cutaneous warts, Sabahat Shah and colleagues carried out this investigation.

This study from May to November 2023, was carried out from the dermatology department of P.N.S. Shifa Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. 30 individuals with cutaneous warts of different sizes and lengths of time were chosen. Lignocaine (0.2 ml, 20 mg/ml) was used to anesthetize the warts before injecting vitamin D3 (0.2 ml, 15 mg/ml) into the base of the warts. The injections were administered again every 2 weeks for a maximum of four sessions, or until full recovery, whichever came first. The patients were monitored for 6 months following the final injection, and a maximum of two warts were treated each session.

The patients' average length of sickness was 14.3 ± 6.5 months, and their average age was 32.20 ± 11.9 years. 10 (33.4%) of the 30 patients were female, and 20 (66.6%) were male. 3 instances (10%) had a modest reaction, 7 cases (23.3%) had a moderate response, and 20 cases (66.6%) had full clearance.

Mild injection site swelling and irritation were the only adverse effects seen in 17 (56.6%) instances, and they both resolved on their own in a matter of days. Overall, one possible therapy option for cutaneous warts is intralesional vitamin D3. The use of this therapy technique is increased by its affordability and absence of significant adverse effects.

Source:

Shah, S., Khan, S., & Sabah, N. U. (2025). Role of intralesional vitamin D3 in the treatment of cutaneous warts. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan: JCPSP, 35(5), 642–645. https://doi.org/10.29271/jcpsp.2025.05.642