Single dose fluconazole in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of single dose (450mg) of fluconazole in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor. Patients and methods Patients suffering from pityriasis versicolor presenting to department of dermatology, Hayatabad Medical Complex,Peshawar were enrolled in the study. Diagnosis of PV was made by Wood’s lamp and confirmed by examination of scales in KOH preparation. 30 patients were included in the study. Results 30 patients completed the study including 24 males and 6 females. Their age ranged from 14 years to 45 years (mean 25.3 years). Eighteen patients (60%) had complete cure and their clinical and laboratory parameters remained negative at 3 weeks and 6 weeks after completion of treatment. Twelve (40%) had no response to treatment. Treatment was well-tolerated and there were no adverse affects reported with single 450mg of fluconazole. Conclusion Fluconazole 450mg as a single dose was effective in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor and well tolerated. However, long term comparative studies should be done to establish the efficacy of fluconazole as a single dose treatment in PV.