Warts, swimming pools and atopy: a case control study conducted in a private dermatology practice

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to study two risk factors of warts, i.e., swimming pool frequentation and atopy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case-control study was performed in four dermatologists' private offices. The cases were patients consulting for the first time for warts; the controls were patients consulting for the first time for acne. RESULTS: Univariate analysis performed in 153 questionnaires (including 86 cases and 67 controls) showed an association between warts with swimming pool frequentation one year before consulting and between warts and history of atopy. Multivariate analysis showed an association between warts and history of atopy (OR: 4.20; confidence interval at 95 p. 100 = (1.52-11.6). The link between warts and frequentation of swimming pool one year before is not significant (OR: 1.81; confidence interval at 95 p. 100 = (0.78-4.21)) but shows a tendency. DISCUSSION: This last point should be confirmed in further studies. Additionally, this study showed that this kind of clinical research can be carried out in dermatologist private practice.