MMR in the treatment of warts

Seventy men and women with multiple recalcitrant extragenital warts took part. Their largest wart was injected with 0.3 intralesional MMR vaccine every two weeks until clearance or until five injections had been given. Participants were followed up monthly for six months.

Of 65 patients completing the study, clearance was observed in 41 (63%), a partial response in 15 (23%) and no response in nine (14%). Only two patients experienced recurrence of the wart.

The researchers concluded that intralesional antigen immunotherapy using the MMR vaccine appears to be effective and safe and is therefore a promising treatment for patients with recalcitrant warts.

Nofal A, Nofal E, Yosef A et al. Int J Dermatol July 28 2014 doi: 10.1111/ijd.12480