Photodynamic inactivation of virus warts: a controlled clinical trial.

A controlled therapeutic trial was carried out in 120 patients with virus warts using methylene blue and a light source providing UVA to visible light for photodyanamic inactivation. The control treatment consisted of a keratolytic ointment containing salicylic acid and creosote. Following eight weeks of treatment, 5 of 65 patients who were treated with photodynamic inactivation were cured, while 8 of 55 treated with the keratolytic ointment were cured. One hundred and six of the patients had the level of complement fixing antibodies were present in at least one of the samples. There was no correlation between the presence of antibodies and cure in either treatment group. The treatment results are very similar to what is seen following the spontaneous course of the wart infection. In view of this and since photodyanamic inactivation may carry an oncogenic risk, treatment of warts with photodyanamic inactivation using methylene blue cannot be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]