COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF CRYOTHERAPY AND INTRALESIONAL VITAMIN D3 IN PATIENTS WITH PLANTAR WARTS

Background: Plantar warts, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), are common and often resistant to treatment. While cryotherapy is a standard approach, intralesional vitamin D3 has emerged as a newer, immunomodulatory option. Comparative evidence regarding their efficacy remains limited. Objective: To compare the efficacy of cryotherapy and intralesional vitamin D3 in the treatment of plantar warts. Study Design: randomized controlled trial. Setting: Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Nowshera. Duration of Study: 02-December-2024 to 02-June-2025. Methods: A total of 194 patients aged 15–45 years presenting with 1–3 plantar warts were enrolled and randomly assigned to two groups. Group A (n = 97) received cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen biweekly for six weeks. Group B (n = 97) received intralesional vitamin D3 (0.2 mL of 7.5 mg/mL) at the same interval. Treatment efficacy was defined as complete clinical clearance of all warts by six weeks. Statistical analysis was performed using a chi-square test; p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age was 31.55 ± 9.35 years in Group A and 32.23 ± 8.37 years in Group B. Cryotherapy showed a significantly higher clearance rate of 66.0% compared to 45.4% with intralesional vitamin D3 (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Cryotherapy is considerably more effective than intralesional vitamin D3 in achieving complete resolution of plantar warts over six weeks, and should be preferred as a first-line treatment in clinical practice.