Successful treatment of verruca vulgaris with Thuja occidentalis in a renal allograft recipient

Role of thuja in the management of laryngeal papilloma

Juvenile respiratory laryngeal papillomatosis is a subset of a larger clinical entity of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. It is characterised by the development of recurrent papillomata in the vocal folds. Human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 has been implicated to be the most common strain of virus associated with the formation of laryngeal papilloma. Clinical diagnosis is based on typical appearance of warty lesion on endoscopy. Surgery is the primary line of management along with adjuvant therapy like antiviral drugs and immunomodulators. Thuja occidentalis is a tree native to North America whose leaves and leaf oil have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It has been widely used for the treatment of condylomatous skin lesions and warts. Here we discuss the outcome of thuja as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of laryngeal papillomatosis in an 8-year-old child.

TREATMENT OF VERRUCA VULGARIS IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Common warts (verrucae vulgares) are the most common complaint in routine dermatological practice. Warts can be painful on pressure and are often an aesthetic problem, but they are not a major threat to the person’s general health. Treatment options are symptomatic and do not eradicate the causative agent. Dermatological surgery procedures such as cryotherapy, electrocauterization and excochleation can be painful, with common recurrences. These are the most important reasons for revival of the treatment procedures and remedies based on traditional medicine. Traditional medicine is still commonly practiced as a form of self-healing. This paper presents the most commonly used wart remedies of plant, animal and mineral origin, along with various magic practices. We emphasize that this paper is written from the viewpoint of physicians, practitioners of dermatology, not as a study in the history or culture. The main objective of the study was to explore various substances and methods people use as home remedies for warts. We performed a case study survey among the general population by interviewing 147 adult participants using a simple preliminary questionnaire inquiring about preferred treatment and knowledge about common warts.