title: Clinical results of OK-432 injection therapy for ganglions.
abstract: We performed a study of intralesional OK-432 injection therapy for the non-surgical treatment of ganglions. OK-432 is an agent made from penicillin-killed and lyophilized preparations of a low-virulence strain of group A streptococcus pyogenes, which has been developed as an immune-augmentation agent for cancer therapy. Derived from an extract of bacterial culture it, induces an immunological response and causes local inflammation and subsequent tissue shrinkage following intralesional injection. After skin anesthesia and aspiration of the ganglion contents, OK-432 was injected into the ganglion cavity. When the ganglion recurred, this procedure was repeated usually up to a total of three times. Clinical evaluations six months after the last injection were: 56.6% complete cure, 35.3% incomplete cure with size reduced, 7.5% no change. Complications were as follows. There were no cases of shock. High fever was seen in five patients (9.4%); two patients suffered a high fever up to 39.0 degrees C for one day, and the others had fevers from 1 to 3 days. Thirty-two patients (60.4%) complained of local swelling that persisted for 1 to 7 days, and 11 (20.8%) complained of continuous pain for 1 to 3 days. Intralesional OK-432 injection therapy is thought to be a safe and convenient alternative to surgical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohba
authors.forename: Teruichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Mitinari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muraoka
authors.forename: Masamitsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishii
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008202:Lymphangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010844:Picibanil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010844:Picibanil