Abstract

Background: Warts are rough verrucous spiny papules that can be found on cutaneous surface. In most patients warts spontaneously regress, whereas others show persistence and progression leading to physical and emotional stress. Several therapeutic approaches like electrosurgery, cryotherapy, keratolytics, vaccines have been used in treating warts, but resistance and recurrences to these therapies have been reported. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a fluorinated pyrimidine antimetabolite, an anti neoplastic agent that acts by blocking DNA synthesis. It has gained increasing popularity in the recent past for treatment of warts particularly in recalcitrant common and palmoplantar warts as other modalities are not very effective.

Aim:  To evaluate the role of intralesional 5- Fluorouracil in recalcitrant warts.

Materials and Methods: The study group comprised of 20 cases of multiple recalcitrant cutaneous warts. We administered  4  ml of 5-FU which was mixed with 1ml of 2% lignocaine and epinephrine which was then injected intralesionally into the warts until blanching occurred  at an interval of every 3 weeks till the clearance in about 20 patients who has attended DVL outpatient department at Rajah muthiah medical college and hospital. Ethical clearance was sought and informed consent was obtained from all patients.

Results: After completion of 3 sittings at an interval of 3 weeks we observed the complete response in common warts, palmar warts and plantar warts was 60%, 63% and 60% respectively.

Conclusion: Our study showed that intralesional 5-FU injection was safe and efficacious in the treatment of multiple recalcitrant cutaneous warts.

Keywords: 5- Fluorouracil, intralesional injection, palmoplantar warts.