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Intralesional Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine versus Formic Acid Puncture in the Treatment of Common Warts: A
Myfanwy J D'Souza1, Ganesh K Hundi1, Sukumar Dandekeri1
1From the Department of Dermatology Venereology and Leprosy, Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
Context:
Many therapeutic modalities have been reported for the treatment of warts: a common bothersome condition; however, no single treatment is completely effective.
Aims:
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intralesional injection of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and to compare its efficacy with 85% formic acid puncture for common warts.
Settings And Design:
This was a prospective comparative study.
Methods And Material:
A total of 60 patients, divided into two groups, were included in the study. Group A received an intralesional MMR vaccine of 0.3 ml per lesion, and group B received 85% formic acid puncture into each lesion with a maximum of 10 warts treated in each case. Five sessions were conducted every 2 weeks in each case with a follow-up period of 3 months to check for recurrence.
Statistical Analysis Used:
The Chi-square test, Fisher's test and t-test were used for statistical analysis. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
In group A, the complete response was observed in 62.5%, partial response in 8% and no response in 4.1% of patients. In group B, the complete response was observed in 31.8%, partial response in 63.6% and no response in 4.5% of patients. The difference in cure rates was found to be statistically significant with a P value of 0.031. No recurrence was observed in both groups in the follow-up period.
Conclusions:
Immunotherapy by intralesional MMR vaccine is a simple, well-tolerated, effective and cost-benefit modality for the treatment of warts and showed a statistically significant cure rate than formic acid therapy.
Insights
Intralesional measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine immunotherapy offers a more effective and statistically significant treatment for common warts compared to 85% formic acid puncture. This simple, well-tolerated therapy shows promising results for wart removal.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Warts are a common skin condition caused by viral infections.
- Existing treatments for warts have limitations in efficacy and completeness of cure.
- There is a need for effective and well-tolerated therapeutic modalities for warts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intralesional measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine for common wart treatment.
- To compare the effectiveness of intralesional MMR vaccine with 85% formic acid puncture.
- To assess the recurrence rates of warts after treatment with MMR vaccine and formic acid.
Main Methods:
- A prospective comparative study involving 60 patients with common warts.
- Patients were divided into two groups: Group A received intralesional MMR vaccine, and Group B received 85% formic acid puncture.
- Five treatment sessions were administered bi-weekly, with a 3-month follow-up period for recurrence.
Main Results:
- Complete response was observed in 62.5% of patients treated with MMR vaccine versus 31.8% treated with formic acid.
- Partial response was noted in 8% with MMR vaccine and 63.6% with formic acid.
- The difference in cure rates was statistically significant (P=0.031), with no recurrence observed in either group.
Conclusions:
- Intralesional MMR vaccine immunotherapy is a simple, well-tolerated, and cost-effective treatment for warts.
- MMR vaccine therapy demonstrated a statistically significant higher cure rate compared to formic acid therapy.
- Intralesional MMR vaccine represents a promising therapeutic option for managing common warts.
