HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Is tinea unguium still widely incurable? A review three decades after the introduction of griseofulvin.

AbstractBACKGROUND:
Tinea unguium, especially of the feet, for ages has been looked on as an incurable disease. Today, therapeutic outcome is still controversial. To evaluate the present state of antifungal therapy of dermatophytoses of the nails, a survey of the pertinent literature has been performed.
OBSERVATIONS:
The introduction of griseofulvin three decades ago was first considered a major breakthrough. Today, however, conventional griseofulvin treatment regimens must be called disappointing in terms of clinical and microbiological cure to be achieved. Cure rates of 40% to 100% have been reported for fingernail infections, but only 3% to 38% for toenail tinea. Microbiological cure rates look only slightly better. Limited experience suggests that additional measures such as surgical nail avulsion or topical antifungal treatment might improve therapeutic outcome. Toenail avulsion increases cure rates to 47% to 82%. The lack of an adequate follow up, however, makes all statements questionable.
CONCLUSIONS:
Results are only limited with respect to newly developed oral antifungal agents. Whereas ketoconazole treatment had to be omitted due to its hepatotoxic effect, its congener, intraconazole, is under investigation. High cure rates have been obtained in a preliminary study with oral terbinafine, 0.25 g/d, for 12 months, which have cleared toenail tinea in 15 of 17 patients. The value of topical treatment alone has not yet been definitely established. The application of a topical azole (bifonazole) in combination with chemical nail avulsion, using urea paste under occlusion, has resulted in negative cultures in 62% of the patients 3 months after the end of treatment.
AuthorsH C Korting, M Schäfer-Korting
JournalArchives of dermatology (Arch Dermatol) Vol. 128 Issue 2 Pg. 243-8 (Feb 1992) ISSN: 0003-987X [Print] United States
PMID1531407 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
Chemical References
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Griseofulvin
Topics
  • Administration, Oral
  • Administration, Topical
  • Antifungal Agents (administration & dosage)
  • Griseofulvin (therapeutic use)
  • Humans
  • Onychomycosis (drug therapy)

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: