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Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery (also called cryotherapy) is the process of destroying diseased skin cells (lesions) by freezing them with liquid nitrogen. It may be used to treat conditions such as warts.

For cryotherapy, the skin may first be numbed with a local anesthetic. The liquid nitrogen is applied or sprayed onto the lesion and the immediate surrounding tissue. The application may be repeated.

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerKathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerAlexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology
Last RevisedSeptember 2, 2010

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: September 02, 2010
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