By JOHN O'NEIL

or warts, salicylic acid is the safest approach and has the best evidence of effectiveness, according to a research review released on Friday by The British Medical Journal.

The study, led by Dr. Sam Gibbs of the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, looked at the results of 50 experiments using a variety of treatments for warts — small, benign skin tumors caused by viral infections.

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The most common treatment, salicylic acid, was reported to have a cure rate of 75 percent. One other medicine, dinitrochlorobenzene, was found in two small studies to have a higher cure rate, but serious side effects were reported, including blistering and persistent skin rashes.

Cryotherapy — freezing the wart — appeared to be no more effective than salicylic acid but was reported by many patients to be painful. Other new treatments, like photodynamic therapy and the use of pulsed-dye lasers have little evidence of effectiveness so far, but could hold promise for the future, the article said.

Dr. Gibbs noted in an interview that many warts went away without any treatment. His advice for someone who develops a wart: "If it hasn't been present for long leave it alone or maybe try salicylic acid for three months. Only if this fails and the patient is very distressed by the warts would I try more aggressive treatments — and I try very hard not to do this."