Reinfection Rate of Cutaneous Warts in Korea: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study

Abstract

Background: Cutaneous warts tend to recur despite of various treatment modalities. However, previous studies provided few data on their reinfection rate. Objective: In this study, we investigated the reinfection rate along with the incidence and prevalence rates of cutaneous warts. Methods: We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional population-based study using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database from January 2006 through December 2016. Patients who visited outpatient clinics with an International Classification of Disease-10 code of viral warts (B07) were included. The reinfection rate was calculated as a percentage of patients with an initial visit in 2010 and subsequent visits for cutaneous warts with at least a six-month interval from last visit until 2016. Results: From 2006 to 2016, the overall incidence and prevalence rates of cutaneous warts increased from 2.99 to 7.69 per 1,000 population and from 3.45 to 10.94 per 1,000 population, respectively. The overall reinfection rate of cutaneous warts was 30.9%. The reinfection rate of males and females was 31.6% and 30.0%, respectively. Children under ten years old had the highest reinfection rate (34.3%). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the reinfection rate of cutaneous warts is the highest in male children under ten years old. Therefore, these patients should be monitored closely after treatment.