Topical use of 5% acyclovir cream for the treatment of occult and verrucous equine sarcoids: a double-blinded placebo-controlled study.

Background: Previous studies mention the use of topical acyclovir for the treatment of equine sarcoids. Success rates vary and since the bovine papillomavirus (BPV) lacks the presence of a kinase necessary to activate acyclovir, there is no proof of its activity against equine sarcoids.

Results: Twenty-four equine sarcoids were topically treated with acyclovir cream and 25 with a placebo.