Publication:

Comparison of cryotherapy versus intralesional measles, mumps, rubella vaccine versus their combination therapy in Indian patients with cutaneous wart: a single centre prospective observational study

Background Need for more effective and less time consuming therapeutic method is current necessity for treatment of cutaneous warts. The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy, safety of cryotherapy versus intralesional measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine versus combination of cryotherapy and intralesional MMR vaccine in Indian patients with cutaneous wart.

Methods This prospective observational study was conducted in 60 patients of cutaneous warts. Patients were divided into three groups viz., group A, group B and group C. Group A was treated with cryotherapy alone, Group B received intralesional injection 0.1 to 0.3 ml of MMR vaccine alone and Group C received combination of group A and group B therapy. In each group treatment was repeated at 3 week interval for a maximum of 4 sittings. Percentage of improvement was evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS) for local as well as distant (non-inoculated) warts. Follow-up was made every 2 months till 4 months to detect any recurrence.

Results For local warts in second half of treatment (12th week) patients of Group B and Group C showed significantly better response than patients in Group A. For distant warts in first half of treatment session patients showed significantly better response to Group C than as compared to Group B therapy (p<0.039).

Conclusions Immunotherapy with MMR is superior treatment than cryotherapy for cutaneous warts with minimum side effects but the combination of cryotherapy with intralesional MMR has shown to have complementary effect in treatment response.