Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to compositions for
topical application to the s]cin, and to their use,
especially in the removal of warts~ ~-
The presence of warts on the skin, while normally
painless and non-injurious to the person suffering from
them ~although planter warts can be very painful), can be
very disfiguring, especially when the warts are in a -~
prominent or cosmetically important place. There is, ~-
therefore, a need for a method for removing warts which
is simple, reliable, and harmless to the person having the
wart. Recent work has shown that glutaraldehyde in aqueous
solution can be used effectively to remove warts. THe
solution, normally containing 10% to 25% by weight of
glutaraldehyde in water and containing sufficient sodium
bicarbonate to bring the pH to 7.5, is applied repeatedly
- to the wart and after a few weeks the latter is removed.
This method, while effective, suffers from
certain disadvantages. In the first place, it is difficult
to apply the solution only to the wart, and, since
glutaraldehyde produces a brown stain on normal skin, this
means that the area surrounding the wart is normally
stained while treatment is going on, which can be a
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considerable disadvantage to the person being treated.
Secondly, after the solution has been applied, it is
necessary to wait until it dries in order that it should
not get rubbed off, and this means that the period of time
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required for application is inconveniently prolonged.
Thirdly, the solution of glutaraldehyde, if concentrated,
is not storage-stable due to polymerisation, and, if not
concentrated, is of only limited efficacy.
rrhe present invention provides a novel glutaralde-
hyde-containing composition useful for the removal of warts,
which is at least as effective as the known aqueous ~-
' glutaraldehyde solutions, and has important practical
advantages in useO
The present invention provides a composition - 3
for removing warts, which comprises in a single phase from
1 -to 25% by weight of glutaraldehyde, 50 to 98% by w,eight
' ' of one or more volatile organic solvents of from 1 to
carbon atoms capable of forming a hydrogen-bond with water
and/or glutaraldehyde, and 1 to 45% by weight of water, the
percentage by weight of glutaraldehyde being at least
1/9 o~, but not more than equal to, the percentage by
weight of water, the percentages being based on the combined ,
weight of glutaraldehyde, solvent(s) and water and the p~
of the composition being from 3.5 to 7Ø This composition
is applied to the warts until they disappear. A's compared
wi~h the known compositions containing glutaraldehyde used
for the treatment of warts, these new compositions have
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a much grea~r volatilit,y and are much easier to apply so
solely to the wart beiny treated. Moreover, after
application to the wart and evaporation of the volatile
solvent, they provide on the wart a high effective
concentration of glutaraldehyde, which can then act on
the wart before having a chance to polyrnerise. There is ~
no need for them to be 'ouffered to an alkaline pH, and, ; `
as ordinarily used, they should have a pH in the ran~e of
3.5 to 5.0 preferably from 4.2 to 4.4, at which pH they
are fully effective because of the high effective concen-
tration of the glutaraldehyde. Moreover, the new
compositions penetrate well into the treated wart.
This composition is prepared by mixin~ together
the constituents described above in any order, or
simultaneously, in the proportions detailed above. Of
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course, previously prepared mixtures of two constituents,
such as co~nercially available 25% by weight of 50% by
weight aqueous glutaraldehyde solution, may be used. It
is, not ordinarily desirable to add any other water to the
composition, s:ince the inclusion of too much water
unnecessarily reduces the volatility of the composition,
which is one of its practical advantages. ,~
The organic solvent, or mixture of solvents, used
must be capable of dissolving the glutaraldehyde and water
present so as to form a composition forming a single phase.
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Examples of such solvents are acetone, and preferably an
al]canol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms such as isopropanol or,
better, ethanol, which may be used in the fo~m of ~`~
industrial methylated spirit. Alkanols are further preferred
since they inhibit the polymerisation of the glutaraldehye~
it is believed by combining with the aldehyde groups in a
reversible equilibrium involving formation of hemiacetals
and acetals and release the free aldehyde on evaporation.
In order to improve its acceptability to the
user, the new ~ompositions may contain, in addition to the :
compounds already mentioned, an appropriate colouring
material and/or perfume. It may also, .if desired, contain
a thickener, such as methyl cellulose, pyroxylin, sodium;~
carboxymethyl cellu].ose in order to make even easier the
localisation of the treatment on the wart. It is, of :
course, essential that any such thickener, or other mater.ial
added, be soluble in the solvent or solvents used.
A preferred composition comprises 40 parts by
weight of 25% aqueous glutaraldehyde solution (providing
10 parts by weight of glutaraldehyde and 30 parts by weight
water) and 60 parts by weight of industrial methylated
spirity (typ.ically 5 volumes methanol per 100 volumes 190
(IJ.S.) proof ethanol) at a pH of 4.2.
A second preferred cornposition consi.sts of 5% by
weight of glutaraldehyde, 5% by weight of water, and 90% by
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weight of a compositio~ known as collodion-acetone of 5g
pyroxylin (a mixture of nitrated polysaccharides of high
molecular weight (C6H1005)n, consisting of at least 200
glycopyranose units such that there are 2 to 2~ nitrate
groups per sugar unit) in 2.5 ml castor oil.and 10 ml
ethoxyethanol, further made up to 100 ml with acetone
at a pH of 4.3. These compositions may be coloured,
perfumed and/or thi~kened as desired i.n the manner already
indicated.
By a~plying the new cosmetic compositions on to `~
a wart, it is possible to totally eradicate painful and
disfiguring warts from the epidermis of someone suffering
therefrom, and it has been found that the removal is often
permanent with no re-growth of the treated w~rts. The
application of the composition re~uires no skill and is
easily carried out by the user in the peace and priva~y of
his or her own dwelling. The method of eradicating warts
using the new compositions is therefore within the scope
of the invention.
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