Podophyllotoxin 0.5% Solution or Gel: Wart Treatment
Podophyllotoxin guidance for selected genital and perianal warts, with short treatment cycles and strict safety limits.
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Source reviewed
source date listed on the source page
Guide category
Drugs for external use and antiseptics
Safety boundary
Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.
Kenza Health Hub presents this medicine page as structured health education. Check dose, route, interactions, pregnancy or breast-feeding considerations, and local protocol with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Read our medical editorial policy.
Quick clinical summary
| Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Drug | Podophyllotoxin 0.5%, also called podofilox in some references |
| Class | Antimitotic topical wart treatment |
| Common form | 0.5% solution or gel with applicator tips |
| Route | External topical application only |
| Key uses | Selected external genital, perianal, and vaginal warts |
| Treatment cycle | Twice daily for 3 consecutive days per week, up to 4 weeks in the source guidance |
| Major cautions | Do not apply to healthy skin, large warts, internal warts, children, pregnancy, or breast-feeding |
Clinical context from Kenza
The sections below add practical explanation around the source-derived monograph. They are educational context and do not replace local protocols or clinician review.
Podophyllotoxin 0.5% explained
The 0.5% strength describes the concentration of podophyllotoxin in the topical product. It does not mean the medicine can be spread broadly; application should stay limited to the wart tissue directed by the clinician.
Why the weekly cycle has rest days
The treatment cycle limits local tissue injury. More frequent or wider application can increase pain, ulceration, and accidental exposure of healthy skin.
When this page should not be used for self-treatment
Internal, cervical, urethral, anorectal, oral, extensive, uncertain, bleeding, or painful lesions need direct clinical assessment. Diagnosis also matters because not every genital or perianal lesion is a wart.
Therapeutic action
Antiviral, antimitotic, cytolytic agent active against human papillomaviruses (HPVs).
Indications
External genital warts, perianal warts and vaginal warts.
Forms and strengths
0.5% solution or gel, with applicator tips.
Dose
One application to warts 2 times daily.
- For vaginal warts, allow to dry before removing the speculum.
Duration
3 consecutive days per week, for a maximum of 4 weeks.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not use to treat genital warts in children.
- Do not apply to warts over 3 cm.
- Do not apply to cervical, urethral, anorectal or oral warts.
- Do not apply to healthy skin.
- May cause local reactions such as erythema, ulceration, and pain in the area where applied.
- Use a new applicator tip for each application.
- Avoid contact with eyes. In case of eye contact flush immediately with plenty of water.
- Pregnancy: contraindicated.
- Breast-feeding: contraindicated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Podophyllotoxin 0.5%, solution or gel dose and administration questions
What is podophyllotoxin 0.5% used for?
This guide lists podophyllotoxin 0.5% solution or gel for external genital warts, perianal warts, and vaginal warts.
How is podophyllotoxin 0.5% applied?
The listed dose is one application to warts twice daily. For vaginal warts, the guide says to allow it to dry before removing the speculum.
How long is podophyllotoxin treatment used?
The guide lists 3 consecutive days per week for a maximum of 4 weeks.
Where should podophyllotoxin not be applied?
The page says not to use it for genital warts in children, warts over 3 cm, cervical, urethral, anorectal or oral warts, or healthy skin. It is contraindicated in pregnancy and breast-feeding.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
Additional medical references
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