Intralesional acyclovir effective option for treatment of cutaneous warts, study finds

Egypt: Acyclovir, an antiviral drug, is a potential therapeutic option to eradicate the human papillomavirus (HPV), a recent study has revealed. 

The study, published in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, found that intralesional acyclovir is a well-tolerated and effective treatment modality for cutaneous warts. 

Elaborating on the need for this study, the researchers write that the treatment of warts is challenging, and developing an antiviral drug that can eradicate HPV is difficult. Acyclovir, an antiviral drug with proven efficacy in DNA viruses, could be a potential therapeutic option considering the viral origins of warts.

Ayman Elsayed, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt, and colleagues, therefore, aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intralesional acyclovir in the treatment of cutaneous warts.

The study included thirty-one patients with cutaneous warts. They were allocated into 2 groups -- Group A included 19 patients who had intralesional acyclovir, 70 mg/ml was injected into warts, while group B included 12 patients who received intralesional saline as control. The treatment was repeated at 2-week intervals until complete clearance or for a maximum of 5 sessions.