Topical 5% imiquimod long-term treatment of cutaneous warts resistant to standard therapy modalities

Long-lasting cutaneous warts may represent an unbearable stigma to patients and therefore pose a singular challenge for the physician. Generally, these warts are induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) 2, HPV-27 or HPV-57.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term treatment with imiquimod 5% cream applied to long-lasting (mean duration 6.3 years) common warts, which had been resistant to previous therapeutic interventions.

Imiquimod cream was self-applied by the patients twice daily. Assessment of response and occurrence of side-effects was performed every 4 weeks until clinical cure or up to a maximum of 24 weeks. A total of 37 patients were recruited.

31 out of 37 patients completed the treatment. 10 out of 37 patients experienced a total clearance of their warts (27%). The mean duration to clearance was 19.2 weeks. 18 patients (49%) showed a reduction of more than 50% and 5 patients (14%) a reduction of less than 50%.

Our data demonstrate that the long-term topical application of imiquimod 5% cream is an effective treatment for otherwise therapy-resistant cutaneous warts without causing any meaningful side-effects.