Treatment of Multiple Warts with High Dose Cimetidine Therapy / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Warts are often a difficult treatment problem for dermatologists. Cimetidine is a H2 histamine receptor antagonist that has been used mainly to treat peptic ulcer disease. The successful use of cimetidine in the treatment of viral warts has been reported previously using doses of 40 mg/kg/day and has the advantage of being painless and easy to administer. OBJECTIVE: In this study we evaluated the effect of cimetidine as an immunomodulating agent on multiple warts. METHODS: We have now treated 24 patients, including 7 children, with multiple viral warts on the hands, feet or faces with high dose cimetidine for 3 or 4 months (14 female, 10 male, age range 6 - 46 years). RESULTS: Of the 24 patients who completed the study, 19 patients (79.2%) had either complete resolution or partial resolution of their warts within 3 months of cimetidine therapy without any adverse effects. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that high-dose cimetidine therapy is beneficial and safe in the treatment of recalcitrant and multiple warts.