Treatment efficacy of 0.9% saline and mepivacaine infiltration with Dermojet® in eliminating plantar warts.

Background: Plantar warts are benign, epidermal neoformations, viral, and easily transmitted. Although 30% of these warts disappear spontaneously, the American Association of Dermatology recommends treatment if they cause pain or bleeding.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of Dermojet® infiltration using a solution composed of equal parts of 0.9% saline and 2% mepivacaine in the treatment of plantar warts, and to identify the type of necrosis achieved at 7-10 days after the infiltration (M1 sample) and at 15-17 days (M2 sample).

Method: In this analytical prospective observational study, 102 histories were reviewed by the same researcher. The patients were treated with this technique at four private podiatry clinics.

Results: A total of 61.8% of the patients were male. The patients' mean age was 26.6 ± 14.10 years. A total percentage of 78.4% of the patients achieved complete elimination of the lesion by the second evaluation and after a single infiltration. Bivariate analysis revealed a significant inverse relationship between treatment efficacy and a history of previous disease (p < 0.001) and the period of evolution of the lesion (p < 0.001; 95% CI [0.78-7.91]). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed an association with the number of evaluation sessions (p < 0.001) and with previous illnesses (p = 0.014). A total percentage of 82.35% presented partial necrosis in the M1 sample and 76.92% had complete necrosis in the M2 sample.

Conclusions: In 78.4% of the patients considered, the plantar warts treated disappeared after a single infiltration. The variables associated with treatment efficacy were the number of follow-up visits and the existence of associated diseases.