Systemic interferon alfa injections for the treatment of a giant orf.

Abstract

Orf is a zoonotic infection caused by a parapoxvirus and is endemic in sheep and goats. It may be transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected animals. We report a case of a giant orf in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which proliferated dramatically after surgical excision and resolved after systemic interferon alfa-2a injections.