Efficacy of MMR Vaccine as Intralesional Immunotherapy in Viral Warts

Abstract

Background: Warts are common in humans and account for 8% of visits to dermatologists. There are many destructive therapies available for the treatment of common warts, and no single treatment has yet proven 100% effective. Material and Method: In this hospital-based prospective study, a total of 100 patients with viral warts excluding genital warts were selected. Detailed history was recorded, especially the type of wart, duration, site and history of any treatment taken in the past. Clinical photo-graphs were taken at the baseline and every three weeks for assessment. The MMR vaccine was given at various intervals, and the patients were follow-ups to observed recurrences. Result: Most common type of warts were Verruca Vulgaris and palmoplantar warts observed in 37.38% patients each. Periungual warts were seen in 14.95% subjects and 10.28% patients had verruca plana. Majority of the subjects were males (68.22%) and 31.78% were females. Majority of the patients had warts on the face followed by palms and soles. Majority of our patients (44.86%) had warts from 6-12 months. Most, i.e. 66.36% of patients belonged to the 21- 40 years age group. Multiple warts were seen in 68.22% of patients and single warts in 31.78% of patients. Complete response was observed in 76.64% of patients, partial response in 14.95% of patients and no response in 8.41% of patients. Recurrence was noted in 2 of 107 patients. No statistically significant difference was seen in the different types and distribution of warts. Conclusion: Treatment of warts using the intralesional MMR technique appears better tolerated and a safe option than traditional destructive methods. As seen earlier, we report the occurrence of warts to be more predominant in the younger generation, with a higher incidence in males. The complete response with no recurrence after a 6-month follow-up demonstrates the efficacy of the treatment