title: Treatment of recalcitrant herpes simplex virus with topical imiquimod.
abstract: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common, easily transmissible virus. There is growing awareness of acyclovir-resistant HSV particularly among immunocompromised patients, which may be due to protracted treatments with guanosine analogues. Given the considerable morbidity associated with other classes of antiherpetic medications such as foscarnet (renal impairment, seizures) and cidofovir (renal impairment, neutropenia), imiquimod, a toll-like receptor agonist that enhances the innate immunologic responses against the virus, has been utilized in treating acyclovir-resistant HSV. We present a case of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patient who was successfully treated with topical imiquimod after treatment failures with other oral antivirals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. dawn.hirokawa@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woldow
authors.forename: Susanne Nussen
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Faramarz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Samie
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000634:Aminoquinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077271:Imiquimod; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000634:Aminoquinolines; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077271:Imiquimod