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Intralesional Candida antigen for common warts in people with HIV
Background:
Intralesional Candida antigen has been used as immunotherapy to treat refractory warts in the immunocompetent pediatric and adult populations but has not been reported in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Purpose:
To examine if Candida antigen resulted in clearance of medically refractory, long-standing common warts in a series of HIV patients.
Method:
At a hospital-based, adult, outpatient dermatology clinic, seven patients with HIV with common warts of the hands and feet were treated with intralesional Candida antigen. The warts had been resistant to standard patient- and physician-applied modalities.
Results:
Clearance was achieved in three of seven patients, whereas four of seven did not respond due to a lack of effectiveness or an inability to tolerate treatment. Adverse events included injection-site redness, pruritus, and pain.
Conclusion:
This is the first reported case series using Candida antigen for warts in individuals with HIV. The use of Candida antigen represents a simple and novel approach to the management of treatment-refractory warts in those with HIV. This case series provides a foundation for future larger, randomized trials.
