Background: Human papillomavirus infection (HPV) is the primary cause of cutaneous viral warts. Plantar warts, flat warts, filiform warts, periungual warts, anogenital warts, oral warts, and pulmonary papillomas are just a few of the many types of warts that can be found on different parts of the body. Warts can be treated using cryotherapy, electrocautery, and lasers, which are all local destructive techniques. It is not realistic to use these therapies for several lesions since they may be unpleasant or cause scarring or dyspigmentation or recurrence. Psoriasis and other keratinization disorders have been widely treated using acitretin is aromatic systemic 2nd generation retinoid with immunomodulatory, antiproliferative, and anti-differentiative characteristics. With acitretin, patients with many recalcitrant warts have reported good results with doses of 0.5 mg/kg each day.
Objective: To evaluate the potential role of acitretin in management of multiple warts.
Methods: The databases were searched for articles published in English in 3 data bases [PubMed – Google scholar- Science direct] and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) had been used such as acitretin and multiple warts OR HPV and in peer-reviewed articles between January 2006 and November 2021.
Conclusion: Several recent studies showed that acitretin shows great clinical success in treating of widespread as well as persistent warts, whether it is used alone or in conjunction with other therapies.