Treatment of Recalcitrant Viral Warts with Combination Therapy of Systemic Acitretin and Diphenylcyclopropenone Immunotherapy

Abstract

Viral warts are benign proliferations of the epithelium caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Diverse therapeutic options are available for viral warts, depending on extension and severity of the disease. We report a case of a 19-year-old man who presented with multiple viral warts on hands and feet for 5 years. He was treated at other clinics before visiting our hospital, but there was no improvement. We treated the lesions with a combination therapy of systemic acitretin and diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) immunotherapy for 6 months. A significant improvement was observed during the 12th week of therapy. Herein, we report a case of recalcitrant viral warts showing complete regression when a combination therapy of oral acitretin and immunotherapy was administered.