Cryotherapy versus podophyllin in the treatment of genital warts

572 patients with solitary or multiple genital warts attending the Department of Genitourinary Medicine at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Bournemouth, U.K. between January 1981 and December 1981 were allocated to either podophyllin or cryotherapy for the treatment of their warts. Of 350 patients successfully treated for their warts and returned for a follow-up examination 6 weeks or more after completing their treatment, 206 (139 men and 67 women) were treated with podophyllin, and 144 (86 men and 58 women) with cryotherapy. One hundred five (51%) of those treated with podophyllin and 114 (79%) treated with cryotherapy were free of warts at their follow-up examination. Patients treated with podophyllin required a mean of 6.7 +/- SD 3.5 treatments over a mean of 4.7 +/- SD 2.4 weeks, whereas those receiving cryotherapy required a mean of 2.6 +/- SD 2.0 applications over a mean of 2.3 +/- SD 1.2 weeks.