Intralesional injection of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine versus cryotherapy in treatment of warts: A randomized controlled trial.

Cutaneous warts are benign hyperkeratotic papillomas resulting from infection by human papillomavirus (HPV). Cryotherapy is a known method for warts treatment. Immunotherapy stimulates HPV recognition by the immune system; this helps resolution of warts. To determine the efficacy of intralesional immunotherapy with measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine versus cryotherapy in the treatment of patients with multiple common and plantar warts. Forty-eight patients with multiple common and plantar warts were divided into two groups: to undergo either intralesional injection of MMR vaccine (Group A), or cryotherapy (Group B). Forty patients completed the study. In the MMR group, 70% of the patients showed complete response, 5% partial response, and 25% showed no response to treatment. In the CRYO group, 45% of the patients showed complete response, 35% partial response, and 20% showed no response to treatment. The complete response was higher in the MMR group (70%) as compared to the CRYO group (45%), but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Meanwhile, the partial response was significantly higher in the CRYO group. Intralesional MMR injection was a safe and effective treatment for multiple common and plantar warts as compared to cryotherapy.