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Electrodessication and Curettage

Aka: Electrodessication and Curettage, ED+C

Indications
1. Recalcitrant warts
2. Basal Cell Carcinoma
Precautions
1. Risk for painful scars (even by experienced Doctor)
2. Lesions larger than 1 cm should be excised instead
Precautions
1. Wear a well-fitted mask (that filters HPV)
  1. Prevents verrucous laryngeal papillomas (rare)
    1. Can result in Squamous Cell Carcinoma
  2. Smoke evacuators also recommended
2. Undertreat
  1. Avoids painful scarring
Technique
1. Use Local Anesthesia
2. Use mask and smoke evacuation as described above
3. Insert electric needle into the wart
4. Apply low-medium current for 5-10 seconds
  1. Until wart whitens and becomes boggy
5. Follow current with Light curettage
6. Coagulate bleeding with pressure and 88% TCA
7. Residual wart tissue appears as blanched, punctate
Follow-up
1. Apply topical antibiotic ointment and dressing
2. Postoperative pain is less than with Cryotherapy

Family Practice Notebook

Patients should address specific medical concerns with their physicians.

Although access to this page is not restricted, the information found here is intended for use by medical providers.

This page was written by Scott Moses, MD, last revised on 10/21/2007 and last published on 5/14/2013.

This is one of 5887 pages in the Family Practice Notebook