A new topical treatment protocol for oral hairy leukoplakia

The aim of this study was to present a new topical treatment protocol for oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL), consisting of a 25% podophyllin resin with a 1% penciclovir cream (PP), and to compare this topical treatment protocol's efficacy with that of 2 other topical treatment protocols: a 25% podophyllin resin (P) and a 25% podophyllin resin with a 5% acyclovir cream (PA).

Forty-two human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients with 69 OHL lesions were randomly treated using P, PA, or PP (14 patients in each topical treatment protocol). Clinical healing was determined when the white plaque could no longer be seen in the primary location of the lesion. Topical treatment performance was evaluated by clinical healing within each week of topical treatment protocol as well as by the recurrence of the lesion. Statistical survival analysis was performed using a Cox proportional hazards model.

Approximately 55% of the patients presented with clinical healing of OHL within 7-8 weeks of each topical treatment protocol. After the sixth week, the PA treatment protocol presented a faster clinical healing rate of OHL. Recurrence was observed in 3 and 7 OHL lesions treated with P and PP treatment protocols, respectively.

The PP treatment protocol proved to be effective; however, the PA treatment protocol was more effective in the clinical healing rate for OHL than P and PP after the sixth week of treatment, and no recurrent OHL was observed in the PA treatment group.