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Does anyone out there have any experience of a topical cream called Aldara being used on veruccae? A work colleague of mine came up to me the other day and said that she has had a mosaic veruccae for 10 years and that a friend had advised Aldara cream which she is buying for €200 per month. There has been no change so far and she has been using it for two months.I looked it up and it is used for dermatological conditions such as Actinic Keratosis, Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma and external genital warts. Apparently the action on genital warts is not known but the blurb said it is thought to induce mRNA encoding cytokines including interferon. In a study of 209 subjects it appeared to only have a 50% success rate in complete resolution of the warts. It isn't licensed for plantar warts as far as I can see, and I feel my colleague is wasting her time and money, but I wondered if anyone had seen this cream used for plantar warts?

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Aldara = Imiquimod

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Hi Michael,

I haven`t had any experience in the use of Imiquimod, but aside from the undesirable side effects that it can produce, I wonder just how effective it is on plantar VPs, which are usually caused by Human Papilloma Virus 1, 2 & 4.

It is indicated for genital warts which are associated with HPV 16 & 18. Imiquimod takes up the `toll like` receptor 7 on specific immune cells in the epidermis. However there is one theory, which is in the process of research, that HPV can locally activate T suppressor cells and that the virally infected cells have no surface markers to bind to.

Cheers,
Bel

Hi Michael - just saw this thread
I was treating a patient recently with relcalcitrant multiple VPs on both feet - long history
I saw him a number of times - I was using a fairly agressive caustic regime - during the time i was treating him he was treated with Aldara by a dermatologist for facial lesions - he was advised they were a type of wart but he could not recall the exact diagnosis - within 4 weeks his feet had completely cleared!

Hi everyone
Im a podiatrist from portugal, i have never heard of this cream for treating plantar warts untill today, and after a quick google search i have found this page of a podiatris that as used it back in 2000
http://www.zfootdoc.com/newpage14.htm

I would like to know more about this treatment...hope some one can healp me
Regards
AnDRé

Hi all

I have had 5 or 6 patients try Aldara over the past few years, all prescribed the cream by a dermatologist at the local Spire hospital. All had long standing mosaic vps (multiple) and all failed!! Mind you I was failing with acid treatments and electrodessication so they were getting frustrated and desperate to find a cure. 2 of those patients were so fed up they didn't wish to continue with any treatment so I advised them to try 24/7 occlusive taping with duct tape (electrical tape) and the vps went within 8 weeks 2 more found that didn't help either....

I would not recommend using Aldaraas it is expensive and seemingly pointless.....but the numbers of patients who tried it are small.

I am really interested in Kevin Kirbys needling technique, under local, and will give it a go inthe near future.

Anyone else had experience of Aldara?

Julian