Perishing with cold: a GP’s guide to cryotherapy

Many general practitioners and most dermatologists use cryotherapy on a daily basis to produce quick, effective results with usually only minor discomfort to the patient. The use of cold to treat skin lesions dates from 1899, when Dr A.C. White, a New York dermatologist, dipped a cotton-tipped applicator in liquid air and successfully treated warts, keratoses and other lesions. The liquid nitrogen spray was introduced in the 1960s by Dr Setrag Zacarian, a dermatologist in Boston, and the popularity of the treatment modality has since spread worldwide.