A comparative study of topical cantharidin and intralesional PPD to treat molluscum contagiosum

Abstract

Background: The immune system plays an important part in the clearance of molluscum contagiosum (MC) and, therefore, there has lately been a trend in using immunotherapy in MC therapy. Tuberculin-purified protein derivatives (PPDs) and topical cantharidin have not earlier been compared with their effectiveness in therapy

Aim: The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness and security of intralesional immunotherapy in the therapy of MC with tuberculin PPD versus topical cantharidin

Patients and methods: Twenty patients with various MC lesions received topical cantharidin as control (group A) and 20 MC patients received intralesional tuberculin PPD following prior intradermal immunity tests (group B‏).

Results: Complete clearance of lesions was detected in 90.0% of patients in the cantharidin group; the partial response was detected in10.0% of the patients. However, in the PPD group, 85% of the patients showed a complete response and 15% showed a partial response, with no significant difference in the clinical response between the two groups. Mild side effects were detected‏.

Conclusion: The results suggest that intralesional PPD and topical cantharidin 0.7% are effective and safe treatment modalities, but benefits of intralesional PPD is being a simple, effective and safe treatment with tolerable pain and can be an alternative treatment for multiple resistant types‏.

Keywords:

• Immunotherapy
• intralesional
• tuberculin-purified protein derivative
• molluscum contagiosum
• topical cantharidin

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Figure 1. A case of MC showing complete response after topical Cantharidin .7% for eight week.

Figure 2. A case of MC showing complete response after five intralesional injections of PPD.