RT Journal
A1 de Haen M, Spigt MG, van Uden CT, van Neer P, Feron FM, Knottnerus A
T1 EFficacy of duct tape vs placebo in the treatment of verruca vulgaris (warts) in primary school children
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2006
FD November 1
VO 160
IS 11
SP 1121
OP 1125
DO 10.1001/archpedi.160.11.1121
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.160.11.1121
AB Objective 
    To determine the efficacy of duct tape compared with placebo in the treatment of verruca vulgaris.Design and Setting 
    A randomized placebo-controlled trial in 3 primary schools in Maastricht, the Netherlands.Participants 
    One hundred three children aged 4 to 12 years with verruca vulgaris.Interventions 
    Duct tape applied to the wart or placebo, a corn pad (protection ring for clavi), applied around the wart for 1 night a week. Both treatments were applied for a period of 6 weeks. Patients were blinded to the hypothesis of the study.Main Outcome Measurement 
    Complete resolution of the treated wart.Results 
    After 6 weeks, the wart had disappeared in 16% of the children in the duct tape group compared with 6% in the placebo group (P = .12). The estimated effect of duct tape compared with placebo on diameter reduction of the treated wart was 1.0 mm (P = .02, 95% confidence interval, −1.7 to −0.1). After 6 weeks, in 7 children (21%) in the duct tape group, a surrounding wart had disappeared compared with 9 children (27%) in the placebo group (P = .79). Fifteen percent of the children in the duct tape group reported adverse effects such as erythema, eczema, and wounds compared with 0 in the placebo group (P = .14).Conclusion 
    In a 6-week trial, duct tape had a modest but nonsignificant effect on wart resolution and diameter reduction when compared with placebo in a cohort of primary school children.