TY - JOUR
T1 - Treatment of dermatophyte nail infections
T2 - An open randomized study comparing intermittent terbinafine therapy with continuous terbinafine treatment and intermittent itraconazole therapy
AU - Tosti, A.
AU - Piraccini, B. M.
AU - Stinchi, C.
AU - Venturo, N.
AU - Bardazzi, F.
AU - Colombo, M. D.
PY - 1996/1/1
Y1 - 1996/1/1
N2 - Background: Terbinafine persists in the nail at effective concentrations for several weeks after discontinuation of treatment. Objective: Our purpose was to verify whether intermittent terbinafine therapy is effective in dermatophytic onychomycosis and to compare the results of intermittent terbinafine with those of intermittent itraconazole and continuous terbinafine treatment. Methods: An open, randomized study of 63 patients was performed with three treatment regimens: terbinafine, 250 mg daily (21 patients); terbinafine, 500 mg daily for 1 week every month (21 patients); or itraconazole, 400 mg daily for 1 week every month (21 patients). Treatment was continued for 4 months in toenail infections (60 patients) and 2 months in fingernail infections (3 patients). Results: At the end of the follow-up period (6 months after discontinuation of treatment) 16 of 17 patients (94.1%) with toenail onychomycosis were mycologically cured in the terbinafine 250 mg group, 16 of 20 (80%) in the terbinafine 500 mg group, and 15 of 20 (75%) in the itraconazole group. Conclusion: The percentage of patients who were mycologically cured was higher in the continuous terbinafine group than in the intermittent terbinafine and itraconazole groups, but statistical analysis did not reveal any significant difference between these cure rates.
AB - Background: Terbinafine persists in the nail at effective concentrations for several weeks after discontinuation of treatment. Objective: Our purpose was to verify whether intermittent terbinafine therapy is effective in dermatophytic onychomycosis and to compare the results of intermittent terbinafine with those of intermittent itraconazole and continuous terbinafine treatment. Methods: An open, randomized study of 63 patients was performed with three treatment regimens: terbinafine, 250 mg daily (21 patients); terbinafine, 500 mg daily for 1 week every month (21 patients); or itraconazole, 400 mg daily for 1 week every month (21 patients). Treatment was continued for 4 months in toenail infections (60 patients) and 2 months in fingernail infections (3 patients). Results: At the end of the follow-up period (6 months after discontinuation of treatment) 16 of 17 patients (94.1%) with toenail onychomycosis were mycologically cured in the terbinafine 250 mg group, 16 of 20 (80%) in the terbinafine 500 mg group, and 15 of 20 (75%) in the itraconazole group. Conclusion: The percentage of patients who were mycologically cured was higher in the continuous terbinafine group than in the intermittent terbinafine and itraconazole groups, but statistical analysis did not reveal any significant difference between these cure rates.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0190-9622(96)80057-0
DO - 10.1016/S0190-9622(96)80057-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 8601647
AN - SCOPUS:0029870118
VL - 34
SP - 595
EP - 600
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
SN - 0190-9622
IS - 4
ER -