Immunotherapy in cutaneous warts: comparative clinical Study between MMR vaccine, tuberculin, and BCG Vaccine

Warts are common viral infection of the skin. Treating warts are still an ongoing challenge and no general agreement is reached, on the best treatment, despite different therapeutic approaches. Intralesional (IL) immunotherapy has recently been shown to be effective in treating various wart forms.

To assess the efficacy and safety of IL tuberculin, IL MMR vaccine, and intradermal (ID) BCG vaccination in treating viral warts.

Sixty patients with single or multiple warts were divided equally into three groups. Group A received IL MMR vaccine, and group B received IL tuberculin every 3 weeks (maximum 3 times). Group C received ID BCG vaccination in the arm with one month interval (maximum 3 times). Recurrence was followed up for 6 months.

In group A, complete response occurred in 30%, partial response in 5%, and no response in 65%. In group B, complete response occurred in 45%, partial response in 20%, minimal response in 10% and no response in 25%. In group C, complete response occurred in 70%, partial response in 5%, minimal response in 5%, and no response in 20%. No recurrence was observed in group A and B but occurred in one patient in group C with the same lesion.

Immunotherapy by IL tuberculin and ID BCG vaccination are safe, effective, and inexpensive techniques in treating all types of warts even if recalcitrant or multiple but immunotherapy by IL MMR vaccine has shown less effectiveness and less safety technique.