Document Type : Brief Report
Authors
1 Molecular Dermatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
2 Department of Dermatology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
3 Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
4 Burn and Wound Healing Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract
Genital warts are epithelial tissues infected with human papillomaviruses, the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Topical treatments focus on removing warts rather than eliminating the virus. Curcumin, as a therapeutic option, has been shown to have antiviral activity in treating a variety of skin diseases, including vitiligo and psoriasis. The present study compared the effectiveness of cryotherapy plus oral curcumin to cryotherapy alone in treating genital warts. This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was performed on patients diagnosed with genital warts, who were divided into two groups. Patients underwent 5-7 sessions of cryotherapy plus oral curcumin or placebo. Outcome measures included the number of warts, the visual analog scale (VAS), and the Persian version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 21.
Twenty-seven patients with a mean age of 34.3 ± 10.3 years were included in each group. The median number of genital warts, DLQI, and VAS improved significantly in both groups. The effect of curcumin was more prominent in a short period, although it was not statistically significant compared to the placebo group. Using curcumin as an adjuvant drug in conjunction with cryotherapy was shown to be ineffective in treating genital warts. According to The Dermatology Life Quality Index, clinical improvement was observed; however, it was not statistically significant. Further studies should be carried out with higher doses of oral curcumin or topical vaginal creams containing curcumin to determine the role of curcumin in treating genital warts.
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