Randomized, comparative trial on the sustained efficacy of topical imiquimod 5% cream versus conventional ablative...

Conventional ablative treatments for external anogenital warts are affected by high recurrence rates. This study compared sustained clearance after ablation vs. treatment with imiquimod 5% cream vs. the combination of both methods. This was a 3-arm, open-label, randomized clinical study comparing ablation alone (Group A), imiquimod 5% cream monotherapy (Group B), or combined ablation followed by topical imiquimod (Group C). Subjects whose anogenital warts were completely cleared entered a 6-month follow-up to evaluate sustained clearance. After 3 months follow-up, 83.9% (73/87), 93.8% (90/96) and 91.7% (66/72) of subjects in Groups A, B, C, respectively, remained free of recurrent anogenital warts. After 6-months follow-up, 73.6% (64/87), 93.7% (89/95) and 91.5% (65/71) of subjects presented free of recurrence (Group A vs. B & C p-values each p < 0.004 in favour of the imiquimod-treated groups). Imiquimod 5% cream, as monotherapy or in combination with ablation, was superior to ablation alone in reducing the recurrence of successfully treated anogenital warts.