Hypertrophic scar formation following carbon dioxide laser ablation of plantar warts in cyclosporin-treated patients

An armamentarium of wart treatments

Patients and clinicians experience the frustration of cutaneous viral warts caused by infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV).Warts appear in various forms on different sites of the body and include common warts (verruca vulgaris), plane or flat warts, myrmecia, plantar warts, coalesced mosaic warts, filiform warts, periungual warts, anogenital warts (venereal or condyloma acuminata), oral warts and respiratory papillomas. Cervical infection with HPV is now known to cause cervical cancer if untreated. A review of the medical literature reveals a huge armamentarium of wart monotherapies and combination therapies. Official evidence-based guidelines exist for the treatment of warts, but very few of the reported treatments have been tested by rigorous blinded, randomized controlled trials.Therefore, official recommendations do not often include treatments with reportedly high success rates, but they should not be ignored when considering treatment options. It is the purpose of this review to provide a comprehensive overview of the wart treatment literature to expand awareness of the options available to practitioners faced with patients presenting with problematic warts.

Viral infections affecting the skin in organ transplant recipients: epidemiology and current management strategies

Viral skin infections are common findings in organ transplant recipients. The most important etiological agents are the group of human herpesviruses (HHV), human papillomaviruses (HPV), and molluscum contagiosum virus. HHV that are important in this group of patients are herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), HHV-6 and -7, and HHV-8, which causes Kaposi sarcoma (KS). HSV infections are characterized by their ability to establish latency and then reactivate at a later date. The most common manifestations of HSV infection in organ transplant recipients are mucocutaneous lesions of the oropharynx or genital regions. Treatment is usually with acyclovir, valaciclovir, or famciclovir. Acyclovir resistance may arise although the majority of acyclovir-resistant strains have been isolated from AIDS patients and not organ transplant recipients. In such cases, alternatives such as foscarnet, cidofovir, or trifluridine may have to be considered. VZV causes chickenpox as well as herpes zoster. In organ transplant recipients, recurrent herpes zoster can occur. Acute chickenpox in organ transplant patients should be treated with intravenous acyclovir. CMV infection occurs in 20-60% of all transplant recipients. Cutaneous manifestations, which include nonspecific macular rashes, ulcers, purpuric eruptions, and vesiculobullous lesions, are seen in 10-20% of patients with systemic infection and signify a poor prognosis. The present gold standard for treatment is ganciclovir, but newer drugs such as valganciclovir appear promising. EBV is responsible for some cases of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, which represents the greatest risk of serious EBV disease in transplant recipients. HHV-6 and HHV-7 are two relatively newly discovered viruses and, at present, the body of information concerning these two agents is still fairly limited. KS is caused by HHV-8, which is the most recently discovered lymphotrophic HHV. Iatrogenic KS is seen in solid-organ transplant recipients, with a prevalence of 0.5-5% depending on the patient's country of origin. HPV is ubiquitous, and organ transplant recipients may never totally clear HPV infections, which are the most frequently recurring infections in renal transplant recipients. HPV infection in transplant recipients is important because of its link to the development of certain skin cancers, in particular, squamous cell carcinoma. Regular surveillance, sun avoidance, and patient education are important aspects of the management strategy.

Growth hormone effects on hypertrophic scar formation: a randomized controlled trial of 62 burned children

The hypercatabolism after massive pediatric burns has been effectively treated with recombinant human growth hormone, an anabolic agent that stimulates protein synthesis and abrogates growth arrest. While experimental studies have shown increased potential for fibrosis induced by growth hormone therapy, adverse effects on human scars have not been investigated. Our aim was to evaluate hypertrophic scar formation in 62 patients randomized to receive injections of 0.05 mg/kg/day of recombinant human growth hormone or placebo, from discharge until 1 year after burn. Scar scales were used to evaluate scar-severity at discharge, 6, 9, 12, and 18-24 months after burn, by three observers blinded to treatment. Computer-assisted planimetry allowed quantification of percentage of hypertrophic scar formation. Types I and III collagens were localized and quantified in scars and normal skin of patients from both groups, using immunohistochemistry with confocal laser microscopy analysis. Insulin-like growth factor-1 blood levels helped assess compliance. Statistical analysis showed that scar hypertrophy significantly increased from 6 to 12 months after injury in both groups, while decreasing at 18-24 months postburn. Types I and III collagens were statistically increased in the reticular layer of scars from both groups when compared to paired normal skin. Insulin-like growth factor-1 was significantly increased in the recombinant human growth factor-treated group. No differences were seen when recombinant human growth factor and control groups were compared using the scar scales, planimetry, or immunohistochemistry. We concluded that recombinant human growth hormone therapy did not adversely affect scar formation and should not contraindicate the administration of recombinant human growth hormone as a therapeutic approach to severely burned children.