Itraconazole in the treatment of tinea corporis and tinea cruris

Summary Forty-five patients with tinea corporis or tinea cruris were treated with oral itraconazole 100 mg daily for 15 days. At the end of the 15-day treatment, 80% of the patients were healed or had markedly improved. At the first follow-up visit, 2 weeks after stopping therapy, 80% of patients were considered responders. An additional follow-up visit another month later (i. e. 6 weeks post-treatment) showed that 32 of 41 patients had responded (78%). Overall, the mycological cure rate (culture and microscopy negative) was somewhat lower than the clinical response rate. Only three patients reported minor side effects (7%). Nausea was reported by two patients and an urticarial reaction was seen in one patient after 8 days treatment. This latter patient discontinued therapy because of the adverse experience. It is concluded that itraconazole, given at a daily dose of 100 mg for 15 days, is effective in the treatment of tinea corporis and tinea cruris. Response rates at the last visit (6 weeks post-therapy) remained at the same satisfactory levels as at the first follow-up visit (2 weeks post-therapy), even though treatment was stopped after 2 weeks. Itraconazole appears to be well tolerated by patients. These results, both in terms of efficacy and side effects, are in line with results reported by other investigators. The fact that the mycological cure rates were somewhat lower than the clinical response rates had apparently no influence on the relapse rate at 6 weeks follow-up post-therapy.