Topical treatment of penile condylomata acuminata with podophyllin, podophyllotoxin and colchicine. A comparative study.

The effect of alcoholic solutions with 20% podophyllin from Podophyllum peltatum and Podophyllum emodi, 8% podophyllotoxin, and 8% colchicine, when applied to penile condylomata acuminata in 227 men, were statistically alike. Of the patients initially judged to be cured after 1-2 applications, 13% showed recurrence, thus bringing down the permanent cure frequency to only 43%. Local side effects were absent after only half the series of colchicine applications, whereas as much as about 3/4 of the treatment course with podophyllin and pure podophyllotoxin could be completed without provoking discomfort. Warts in the urinary meatus healed significantly less well than warts on the other genital mucous membranes. Eighty-nine per cent of patients who had previously been cured of concylomata became wart-free after 1-2 treatments, as opposed to only 40% of those who had never had this wart type previously. The use of the commercially available colchicine offers an opportunity to establish a standardized therapy; following application of an 8% solution, rinsing off should be performed after 6-8 hours.