Successful treatment of anogenital warts with single dose Bacillus Calmette Guerin vaccine without prior sensitization in tuberculosis endemic country: Two case report

Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2023 Dec 31;19(1):2187591. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2187591. Epub 2023 Mar 21.

Abstract

Anogenital Warts (AGWs) are benign proliferations caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection on the genital or anal areas. Various therapeutic options are available for the treatment of AGWs but there is no best or ideal therapy, and the recurrence of AGWs is significantly high. A promising new therapy that is currently being evaluated is immunotherapy with the intralesional Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. Two cases of a 23-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man were presented with manifestations of condyloma acuminata type AGWs. The patients were immunocompetent and received single dose intralesional BCG vaccine on the largest lesion. Clinical improvements of AGWs lesions were noted starting on the 14th day after receiving therapy by the disappearance of some lesions with no recurrence and side effects. Intralesional BCG vaccine activates the immune system, treats other AGWs lesions that do not receive an intralesional injection, and also prevents recurrence. Although the intralesional BCG vaccine is effective for treating AGWs, further evaluation is still needed for its recurrence.

Keywords: Anogenital warts; Bacillus Calmette-Guérin; immunotherapy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • BCG Vaccine / therapeutic use
  • Condylomata Acuminata* / epidemiology
  • Condylomata Acuminata* / therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy
  • Male
  • Papillomavirus Infections*
  • Tuberculosis*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • BCG Vaccine

Grants and funding

This study received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.