Duct Tape Occlusion Therapy - Effectiveness

Effectiveness

Duct tape occlusion therapy is not yet proven to be effective, with some studies showing some effectiveness, and others finding no significant efficacy. One study by Focht et al. found that the duct tape method was 85% effective, compared to a 60% success rate in the study's cryotherapy group.

Another study led by Rachel Wenner, however, found no statistically significant effect after 2 months in a double-blind, randomized and controlled clinical trial in 90 adults when transparent duct tape was compared to moleskin. There was no statistically significant difference for resolution of the target wart between patients treated with moleskin versus patients treated with duct tape. Eight of 39 patients (21%) in the treatment group vs 9 of 41 patients in the control group had complete resolution of the target wart. Fewer of the patients achieving resolution of their wart in the moleskin group had recurrence of their wart. But it is not clear if the transparency of the duct tape affected efficacy.

Of the patients who had complete resolution, 6 (75%) in the treatment group and 3 (33%) in the control group had recurrence of the target wart by the sixth month. "Whether or not the standard type of duct tape is effective is up in the air," said co-author Dr. Rachel Wenner of the University of Minnesota, who started the new study as a medical student. "Theoretically, the rubber adhesive could somehow stimulate the immune system or irritate the skin in a different manner." Since Wenner's study protocol covered the adhesive with waxed paper, the treatment did not achieve the combination of airtight occlusion and a reaction to the adhesive suggested by Litt in his paper as the mechanism of action.

A second trial found duct tape had a modest but nonsignificant effect on wart resolution. The statistical power of the latter trial has been questioned.

One randomized controlled trial found that more people having occlusive treatment with duct tape than cryotherapy had complete clearance of warts at two months. The randomized controlled trial did not assess recurrence.