Oral Acyclovir for Treatment of First-Episode Herpes Simplex Virus Proctitis

Ann M. Rompalo, Gregory J. Mertz, L. Gray Davis, Jacqueline Benedetti, Cathy Critchlow, Walter E. Stamm, Lawrence Corey

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Twenty-nine patients with first-episode rectal herpes simplex virus infection were enrolled in a double-blind trial of oral acyclovir, 400 mg five times daily, vs placebo treatment. Eighty percent of those receiving acyclovir compared with 25% of placebo recipients no longer had herpes simplex virus isolated from their rectal lesions three days after onset of therapy. The median duration of rectal lesions and viral excretion from rectal lesions (median, five and zero days, respectively) was significantly shorter in patients treated with acyclovir than in placebo-treated patients (14 and 11 days, respectively). Durations of local signs and symptoms of proctitis, such as rectal pain, discharge, and friability, were shorter in acyclovir recipients than in placebo recipients, but these differences were not statistically significant. Daily administration of 2 g of oral acyclovir for ten days alleviates some of the clinical signs of herpes simplex virus rectal infection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2879-2881
Number of pages3
JournalJAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
Volume259
Issue number19
DOIs
StatePublished - May 20 1988
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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