EMLA(R)-INDUCED ANALGESIA INFERIOR TO LIGNOCAINE INFILTRATION IN CURETTAGE OF COMMON WARTS - A RANDOMIZED STUDY

The analgesic effect of topical application of EMLA cream for the cure ttage verrucae vulgaris was compared to local infiltration with lignoc aine in 89 patients. The main purpose of this randomized study was to evaluate the patients' overall impression of the treatment. All patien ts anaesthetized by lignocaine infiltration reported it as 'an accepta ble procedure' compared to only 71% of the patients treated with EMLA. It cannot be recommended to use EMLA cream as local anaesthetic for c urettage of verrucae vulgaris, presumably because the highly keratotic nature of the common warts does not allow sufficient penetration of e picutaneously applied EMLA.