CellMed

Warts are a common condition with a global prevalence of 7-12%. This disease is a proliferative disorder that occurs when human papillomaviruses (HPV), belonging to the Papillomaviridae family, infect keratinocytes.¹ This virus has been linked to genital cancers such as cervical cancer, some head and neck cancers, oropharyngeal cancers, and warts, with more than 170 different subtypes identified to date. These subtypes known to cause warts include types 2, 3, 10, and 27.²

Warts are classified and named according to their appearance and location as common warts, plantar or palmar warts, flat warts, and genital warts (condyloma). While these are known to be caused by different HPV subtypes, they generally share common clinical features. It includes papillary shapes protruding from the skin, punctate blood vessels referring to dot-like vascular patterns visible on the skin, and bleeding symptoms that occur when the lesion is scratched.³

Although warts are not life-threatening, they can cause stress to patients for aesthetic reasons when they occur in exposed areas such as the face or neck.⁴ Moreover, as warts are an infectious disease caused by HPV infection, there is a possibility of spreading to other parts of the body or even to other people.⁵ Therefore, appropriate treatment should be administered to prevent the occurrence and spread of warts.

Treatment options for warts include cryotherapy, thermotherapy, laser therapy, or local injections. However, depending on the patient, these treatments may cause pain and itching at the treatment site and may be accompanied by side effects such as inflammation and pigmentation after the procedure. Additionally, some treatments may be difficult to apply depending on the type of wart and specific patient groups, such as pregnant women or infants.⁴ Therefore, applying a treatment method tailored to the patient's condition and situation is essential.

In this case study, the patient complained of discomfort in daily life and appearance due to warts on the neck and showed significant improvement after undergoing Ortho-Cellular Nutrition Therapy (OCNT).

1. Subject

One case of a wart patient was studied.

1) Name: Yoon OO (55 years old/F)

2) Diagnosis: Warts

3) Onset: 2022

4) Treatment period: July 2024 - present

5) Chief complaint: Redness and lump formation on the neck area

6) Past history: Laser treatment for wart removal in the early 40s

7) Social history: None

8) Family history: Warts in the paternal family

9) Present illness and current medications: None

2. Method

Initially, a single wart cream containing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), EGCG, and tocopherol as main ingredients was prescribed and instructed to be applied frequently only to the wart lesion area. After one week, the patient was instructed to use it twice daily, in the morning and evening. At this point, Cyaplex balm was additionally prescribed and instructed to be applied in conjunction with the wart cream. This prescription was to be applied widely to the wart lesion area and surrounding areas.

Initially, warts were observed on the back of the neck, and redness was present in the area. Therefore, OCNT was initiated at this point. About two weeks after application, the redness in the area was confirmed to have faded. (Fig. 1.)

Figure 1. Changes in the patient's wart condition on the back of the neck during OCNT administration. (A) Photo taken on August 5, 2024, and (B) August 20, 2024. After OCNT was administered, the redness in the lesion area can be seen to have faded.

Wart symptoms with skin discoloration and multiple small lumps were also observed on the front of the neck, and OCNT was applied for symptom improvement. After OCNT application, the redness in the patient's lesion area gradually and significantly decreased. The lumps were also observed to have disappeared or reduced in size. (Fig. 2.)

Figure 2. Changes in the patient's wart condition on the front of the neck during OCNT administration. (A) Photo taken on August 10, 2024, (B) August 12, 2024, and (C) August 20, 2024. As OCNT progressed, the redness in the lesion area can be seen to have faded, and the lumps have either reduced in size or disappeared.

The case patient was a woman in her 50s who visited a pharmacy due to sudden lesions in her neck area. Upon observation, the lesions were suspected to be warts, and through questioning, it was confirmed that she had previously undergone laser treatment for warts long ago.

Currently, there are various methods to treat warts. These include treatments that dissolve keratin using salicylic acid or trichloroacetic acid (TCA),⁶ ointments containing sinecatechin or imiquimod that kill viruses or induce immunotherapy,⁷ and treatments that directly remove the affected area such as cryotherapy, laser therapy, or injection therapy.^8-10 However, keratin-dissolving treatments do not eliminate HPV, the cause of warts, and ointments that induce virus killing or immunotherapy have the disadvantage of not being applicable for long periods.⁷

Moreover, these treatments have limitations when performed alone. Therefore, in most cases, multiple treatments are combined.¹¹ However, patients may feel aversion or discomfort towards specific treatments, and treatment effectiveness may vary among individuals, necessitating the appropriate implementation of personalized treatments.

The wart cream prescribed to the patient was selected to contain various ingredients for improving wart symptoms. Alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), one of the main ingredients in the cream, helps increase skin moisture content by inducing plasticization and exfoliation of keratinocytes and promoting normal differentiation of epidermal cells.¹² It also contains coix seed extract, which can aid skin whitening by inhibiting the activity of MITF, TYR, TRP-1, and TRP-2, which induce melanin production.¹³

The prescribed cream contains a large amount of EGCG, a natural substance extracted from green tea, which shows excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. Due to these characteristics, it is known to be beneficial for various skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis.¹⁴ It also contains Artemisia annua extract, known as Qing Hao in traditional Chinese medicine, which has been shown to have excellent antibacterial and antifungal effects through numerous studies.¹⁵

A critical aspect of improving wart symptoms is strengthening the immune function of the skin barrier to prevent recurrence due to latent viruses. Tocopherol, contained in the prescribed wart cream, induces the production of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and helps proliferate T cells, thereby strengthening immune activity.¹⁶ It also contains carotenoids, which help enhance immunity by promoting the proliferation of natural killer and T cells. Therefore, it is thought that these ingredients positively improved the patient's wart symptoms.

Centella asiatica extracts contained in Cyaplex balm are known to positively affect cell recovery by suppressing inflammation through active ingredients such as asiaticoside and madecassoside, calming the lesion area and increasing collagen synthesis.¹⁷ Additionally, anthocyanins help cell recovery by reducing oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species and increasing cell mobility.¹⁸ Lanolin has been shown through research to strengthen the skin barrier function and help other active ingredients absorb smoothly.¹⁹ It is believed that these ingredients strengthened the damaged skin tissue and created an excellent synergy effect, allowing the prescribed wart cream to work effectively.

This case study was conducted on a single patient and has limitations in being universally applicable to all wart patients. However, it is considered significant that through simple OCNT, the patient's wart symptoms were significantly improved, the appearance of the lesion area was enhanced, and the quality of life could be improved. Therefore, with the patient's consent, this case is being reported.