Oral acyclovir therapy of recurrent herpes simplex virus type 2 infection of the hand.
Acyclovir was evaluated as treatment of recurrent herpes simplex virus type 2 infection of the hand in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. In nine fully evaluable patients, oral acyclovir (2 g/day in three doses for 10 days) initiated during the earliest phase of a recurrence reduced the mean durations (+/- standard deviation) of clinical symptoms from 10.1 (+/- 3.6) to 3.7 (+/- 3.0) days (P = 0.008), signs from 11.1 (+/- 3.7) to 6.2 (+/- 3.3) days (P = 0.024), and viral positivity from 5.3 (+/- 3.8) to 0.6 (+/- 1.1) days (P = 0.011).
Gill
M J
MJ
Department of Microbiology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Bryant
H E
HE
D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D018139:Simplexvirus
D000212:Acyclovir