Cryotherapy vs Laser for Genital Warts Management: A Systematic Review

Hyder Osman Mirghani; Bader M. Alghamdi; Raad Alnami; Mohammed Alshehri; Nora Alanezi; Naif Alshahrani; Arwa  Alnoumani; Anas Asiri; Osama Alalmaie; Bader Alsubaie; Salem Alshehri; Basel H. Bakhamees

doi:10.54293/smhj.v4i2.107

Authors

Hyder Osman Mirghani Associate Prof of Internal medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, KSA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5817-6194
Bader M. Alghamdi Student, Faculty of Medicine in Tabuk University, Tabuk, KSA.
Raad Alnami Medical Intern, Faculty of Medicine in King Khalid University , Abha, KSA.
Mohammed Alshehri Student, Faculty of Medicine in Tabuk University, Tabuk, KSA. https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3438-9722
Nora Alanezi Student, Faculty of Medicine in Tabuk University, Tabuk, KSA. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1777-1117
Naif Alshahrani Student, Faculty of Medicine in King Khalid University, Abha, KSA. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5417-3454
Arwa Alnoumani Student, Faculty of Medicine in King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh branch, Rabigh, KSA.
Anas Asiri Student, Faculty of Medicine in King Khalid University, Abha, KSA.
Osama Alalmaie Student, Faculty of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, KSA. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0660-2327
Bader Alsubaie Student, Faculty of Medicine in Tabuk University, Tabuk, KSA.
Salem Alshehri Student, Faculty of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, KSA.
Basel H. Bakhamees Medical student, Faculty of Medicine, King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah, KSA. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1501-6885

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54293/smhj.v4i2.107

Keywords:

Keywords: External genital warts; Condylomata acuminata; Cryotherapy; Laser; Systematic review.

Abstract

The study compared cryotherapy and laser in managing external genital warts (EGW) using various databases. The research involved eleven studies with 92 patients, with follow-up durations ranging from 28 days to 39 months. One study found that CO2 laser therapy was two times more effective than cryotherapy in terms of clearance, recurrence, and complication rates. Six studies showed that laser was the best option for immunocompromised patients and those who did not respond to cryotherapy, with the lowest recurrence rates and complications. Cryotherapy is economical, effective, and safe, but it is painful, deformed, and requires multiple sessions. Current treatment approaches focus on the surface wart rather than the underlying viral infection, making them less successful in long-term effects. There is little evidence to support the idea that a specific therapy is not more successful than others. Future research should focus on extensive comparisons with larger sample sizes.