IONIC ANTI-VIRAL INTRALESIONAL THERAPY IN PLANTAR WARTS

Abstract

arts (verrucas) are an extremely common, benign, and usually self-limited skin disease. Their size ranges from a few millimetres to several centimetres. The normal skin lines are interrupted by skin coloured to brownish-grey proliferations, the diagnosis is established clinically; no supplementary histologic or virologic investigations are needed. They are caused by HPV, there is no antiviral treatment that is specific for HPV, but some of the available therapies interfere with the viral life cycle. The most common approach for treatment is to damage or destroy the infected epithelium. This can also induce cell death and antigen exposure and presentation, thereby potentially inducing an immune response. The aim of this two armed double blinded randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of intralesional combined digoxin and furosemide in the treatment of multiple planter warts. Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside while furosemide is a loop diuretic. Both digoxin and furosemide inhibit the K+ influx by interacting with cell membrane ion co-transporters (Na+ /K+ -ATPase and Na+ -K+ -2Cl- co-transporter-1, respectively). DNA viruses such as HPV rely on K+ influx for replication.