Comparative use of adenine arabinoside and adenine arabinoside monophosphate in varicella and disseminated zoster in immunosuppressed patients.

Adenine arabinoside monophosphate (ARA AMP) was used in ten immunosuppressed patients suffering from varicella or disseminated zoster, and compared to adenine arabinoside (vidarabine) in ten other similar patients. Good results were obtained with both drugs: the fever stopped suddenly in three or four days and no new vesicles were observed after the third day. ARA AMP is more soluble than vidarabine and is thus easier to handle; it could be an effective treatment of severe varicella-zoster virus infections in immunosuppressed patients.