Intralesional acyclovir versus cryotherapy in treatment of plantar warts: A randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

Plantar warts are known for their recalcitrant nature. Intralesional acyclovir injection has been recently tried for treatment of warts. Comparing the efficacy and safety of intralesional acyclovir versus cryotherapy in treatment of plantar warts. Sixty-eight patients with plantar warts were randomized into: one group (34 patients with a total of 51 warts) received intralesional acyclovir, and the other group (34 patients with a total of 72 warts) underwent cryotherapy. Patients in both groups received a maximum of 5 sessions with 2-week intervals. Complete cure of plantar warts was observed in 68.6% in the intralesional acyclovir group versus 61.1% in the cryotherapy group (P = .393). A significantly higher number of sessions was needed to achieve complete cure in the intralesional acyclovir group (3.8 versus 3 sessions, P = .001). The procedure was significantly more painful in the intralesional acyclovir group with an average visual analog scale score of 6.5 versus 4.65, P = .005). Blinding was not feasible in this study because of the distinctly 2 different techniques of treatment modalities used. Intralesional acyclovir is a promising therapeutic modality for plantar warts, demonstrating similar efficacy to cryotherapy, but the procedure is significantly more painful.