The efficacy of diphencyprone immunotherapy for the treatment of cutaneous warts: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

© 2019, © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Background: Cutaneous warts, a common skin condition, may resolve spontaneously or become recalcitrant. Diphencyprone has been shown by many studies to have efficacy in treating warts, with varied results. Objectives: We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of the cure rate following the use of diphencyprone immunotherapy as a cutaneous wart treatment. Materials and methods: The databases of Medline, PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched for prospective and retrospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials reporting a cure rate for diphencyprone immunotherapy between 1984 and 2018. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (Biostat Inc) was used to perform a meta-analysis of the diphencyprone pool efficacy. Results: A total of 153 studies were obtained by searching the databases. After screening for eligibility, 14 studies were included (6 prospective studies, 4 retrospective studies, 3 randomized controlled trials, and 1 case report), representing a total of 851 patients. The random-effects pooled efficacy for diphencyprone was 75.5% (95% CI, 64.6%–83.9%; I2 = 87%). Conclusions: Diphencyprone immunotherapy has a high efficacy to cure warts. This method may be used as an adjunctive modality for the treatment of warts in cases of conventional treatment failure.