Intralesional acyclovir in the treatment of cutaneous warts: A novel therapeutic approach

Abstract

BACKGROUND Warts are the cutaneous manifestations of human papilloma virus infection. Although warts resolve spontaneously, many patients seek treatment as they can be painful and may have psychosocial impact in case of multiple cutaneous warts. Acyclovir, an antiviral agent with proven efficacy against DNA viruses, could be a possible novel therapeutic modality for management of warts. Aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of intralesional acyclovir in treatment of cutaneous warts. METHODS A total of 18 patients with warts attending DVL outpatient department were selected for the study. The patients were given 0.1ml-0.3ml of intralesional acyclovir diluted with distilled water(70mg/ml) in each lesion depending on the size of the lesion. The procedure was repeated at 2 weekly intervals until complete clearance or a maximum of four doses. Adverse effects were reported and the patients were followed up monthly for 3 months after the last injection to detect any relapse. RESULTS All 18 patients completed the study by 8weeks duration. During which, Complete clearance was seen in 9 patients (50%), followed by excellent response in 5 patients (27.7%), good response in 2 patients (11.11%) and no response in 2 patients (11.11%). CONCLUSION Intralesional acyclovir can be effective modality for treatment of solitary cutaneous warts as it does not have any added advantage for distant warts. It can be beneficial modality in patients seeking for quick response. KEYWORDS: warts, acyclovir, cutaneous, novel,intralesional