SynthesisBMJ open2019
Effectiveness of topical and ablative therapies in treatment of anogenital warts: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adverse Effects of Treatments for Anogenital Warts in Non-immunocompromised Adults: A Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Dermatology and therapy · 2026Pooled it
- Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous warts (2022).Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2022Guideline
- The clinical effectiveness and safety of imiquimod versus podophyllotoxin in the topical treatment of condylomata acuminata: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026Article
- First proctological application of a noncontact nitrous oxide cryotherapy device treating nonmalignant intra- and perianal HPV-related lesions.Techniques in coloproctology · 2026Article
- Treatment of Condyloma Acuminata with Tirbanibulin 1% Ointment in People Living with HIV: A Case Series with Literature Review.Infectious disease reports · 2025Review
- Sexually transmitted human papillomavirus and related sequelae.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2025Review
- Article
- Anogenital Warts in Geriatrics: Immunosenescence and New Sexual Contacts? A Case Report.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2024Article
- The Effectiveness of Chemical Cautery and Electrosurgery on Anogenital Wart: Systematic Review.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2023Review
- Letter to the Editor Regarding 'A Multicentre, Randomised Clinical Trial to Compare a Topical Nitrizinc® Complex Solution Versus Cryotherapy for the Treatment of Anogenital Warts'.Dermatology and therapy · 2020Article
- A Multicentre, Randomised Clinical Trial to Compare a Topical NitrizincDermatology and therapy · 2020Article
- Applications of a Standardized Green Tea Catechin Preparation for Viral Warts and Human Papilloma Virus-Related and Unrelated Cancers.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Review
- Local Management of Anogenital Warts in Non-Immunocompromised Adults: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Dermatology and therapy · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo generate estimates of comparative clinical effectiveness for interventions used in the treatment of anogenital warts (AGWs) through the systematic review, appraisal and synthesis of data from randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
designSystematic review and network meta-analysis of RCTs. Search strategies were developed for MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library and the Web of Science. For electronic databases, searches were run from inception to March 2018. The systematic review was carried out following the general principles recommended in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement.
participantsPeople aged ≥16 years with clinically diagnosed AGWs (irrespective of biopsy confirmation).
interventionsTopical and ablative treatments recommended by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV for the treatment of AGWs, either as monotherapy or in combination versus each other. OUTCOME MEASURES: Complete clearance of AGWs at the end of treatment and at other scheduled visits, and rate of recurrence.
resultsThirty-seven RCTs met inclusion criteria. Twenty studies were assessed as being at unclear risk of bias, with the remaining studies categorised as high risk of bias. Network meta-analysis indicates that, of the treatment options compared, carbon dioxide laser therapy is the most effective treatment for achieving complete clearance of AGWs at the end of treatment. Of patient-applied topical treatments, podophyllotoxin 0.5% solution was found to be the most effective at achieving complete clearance, and was associated with a statistically significant difference compared with imiquimod 5% cream and polyphenon E 10% ointment (p<0.05). Few data were available on recurrence of AGWs after complete clearance. Of the interventions evaluated, surgical excision was the most effective at minimising risk of recurrence.
conclusionOf the studies assessed, as a collective, the quality of the evidence is low. Few studies are available that evaluate treatment options versus each other. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42013005457.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.