Verruca needling (also called needling therapy for plantar warts) is a minimally invasive treatment used to treat stubborn or recalcitrant verrucae (plantar warts caused by the human papillomavirus, HPV). The technique is designed to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight the virus rather than simply destroying the wart tissue superficially.
Book Now🦶 What is Verruca Needling?
• Developed as a treatment for plantar warts that have not responded to standard therapies like salicylic acid, cryotherapy, or laser.
• Involves puncturing the wart multiple times with a fine needle under local anesthesia.
• The goal is to introduce viral particles into the deeper layers of the skin, stimulating an immune response that helps the body recognize and attack HPV.
• Performed by a podiatrist in a clinic setting.
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🔹 Procedure Overview
1. Preparation
o Local anesthesia is applied to numb the area.
o The foot is cleaned and sterilized.
2. Needling
o A sterile needle is used to puncture the verruca multiple times, reaching the dermis.
o The number of punctures depends on the size of the wart.
3. Post-Procedure Care
o The area is cleaned and dressed with a sterile dressing.
o Patients are advised to keep the foot clean and avoid soaking for the first 24–48 hours.
o Mild discomfort, bruising, or swelling may occur for a few days.
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🔹 Mechanism
• The procedure introduces HPV antigens into deeper tissue layers.
• This stimulates cell-mediated immunity, enabling the body to recognize and eliminate the virus.
• Can sometimes result in the resolution of both treated and untreated warts on the same foot, due to systemic immune activation.
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🔹 Effectiveness
• Studies show a success rate of 60–70% for recalcitrant verrucae.
• Usually requires 1–2 sessions, though some cases may need more.
• Most effective for warts that have persisted for a long time and failed conventional treatments.
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🔹 Advantages
• Minimally invasive and performed under local anesthesia.
• Stimulates immune response, potentially clearing other warts.
• Avoids repeated chemical or cryotherapy treatments.
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💡 Key Point: Verruca needling is particularly useful for stubborn plantar warts and works by activating the immune system rather than just destroying the lesion. It’s a safe, in-office procedure with minimal downtime.
