How is cryotherapy acts on the body?

Definition

Cryotherapy is a method of superfreezing tissue in order to destroy it. This article discusses cryotherapy of the skin.

Cryosurgery - skin

Cryotherapy is done using a cotton swab that has been dipped into liquid nitrogen or a probe that has liquid nitrogen flowing through it.

The procedure is done in the doctor's office. It usually takes less than a minute.

The freezing may cause some discomfort. Your health care provider may apply a numbing medicine to the area first.

Cryotherapy or cryosurgery may be used to:

• Remove warts
• Destroy precancerous skin lesions (actinic keratoses or solar keratoses)

Rarely, cryotherapy may be used to treat some skin cancers. However, skin that is destroyed during cryotherapy cannot be examined under a microscope. A skin biopsy is needed if your health care provider wants to check the lesion for signs of cancer.

Cryotherapy risks include:

• Blisters and ulcers, leading to pain and infection
• Scarring, especially if the freezing was prolonged or deeper areas of the skin were affected
• Changes in skin color (skin turns white)

Cryotherapy works well for many patients. Some skin lesions, especially warts, may need to be treated more than once.

The treated area may look red afterwards. A blister will often form within a few hours. It may appear clear or have a red or purple color.

You may have a little pain for up to 3 days.

Most of the time, no special care is needed during healing. The area should be washed gently once or twice a day and kept clean. A bandage or dressing should only be needed if the area rubs against clothes or may be easily injured.

A scab forms and will usually peel away within 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the area treated.

Call your health care provide if:

• There are signs of infection such as redness, swelling, or drainage
• The skin lesion does not appear to be gone after it has healed

Habif TP. Dermatologic surgical procedures. In: Habif TP, ed. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 27.

Ibrahim SF, Brown MD. Actinic keratoses. In: Lebwohl M, ed. Treatment of Skin Disease: Comprehensive Therapeutic Strategies. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2009.

Warts, herpes simplex, and other viral infections. In: Habif TP, ed. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 12.

Review Date: 09/14/2011

Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.