Intralesional injection of bleomycin sulphate into resistant warts in renal transplant recipients versus non-transplant warty patients

Abstract

Sixteen adult renal transplant patients and 20 nontransplant patients with warts underwent intralesional therapy with bleomycin sulphate. One unit/ml bleomycin sulphate was injected in 93 warts in renal transplant recipients and 100 warts in non-transplant patients with proven resistance to conventional treatment for at least 6 months. The treatment was compared with a normal saline placebo injected into the paired warts in the same patient. Thirty-four out of 93 warts (37%) in renal transplant recipients vs. 59 out of 100 warts (59%) in non-transplant patients were completely cured after one to three injections. We found bleomycin completely ineffective in 56 warts (60%) in renal transplant recipients, but ineffective in only 17 warts (17%) in non-transplant warty patients. None of the patients treated experienced any side effects except for local pain which was well tolerated, especially by non-transplant patients.