TY - JOUR
T1 - A randomized comparison of 4 weeks of terbinafine vs. 8 weeks of griseofulvin for the treatment of tinea capitis
AU - Fuller, L C
AU - Smith, C H
AU - Cerio, R
AU - Marsden, R A
AU - Midgley, G
AU - Beard, A L
AU - Higgins, E M
AU - Hay, R J
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Background Tinea capitis is a common childhood infection that has recently become more frequent in urban areas in Europe and the U.S.A. The current licensed treatment in children is griseofulvin 10 mg kg(-1) daily, which is usually given for 6-8 weeks. Objectives To compare this treatment with a 4-week course of oral terbinafine. Methods Terbinafine was given at the following doses: in children weighing <20 kg, 62.5 mg daily; 20-40 kg, 125 mg daily; > 40 kg, 250 mg daily, Two hundred and ten children aged 2-16 years, with mycologically confirmed tinea capitis, were randomized to 4 weeks treatment with terbinafine or 8 weeks with griseofulvin, and followed for a total of 24 weeks to determine the difference between treatments with respect to short- and long-term efficacy and tolerability, Results One hundred and forty-seven patients were evaluable (terbinafine 77, griseofulvin 70), Although the 4-week course of terbinafine resulted in a trend to more rapid clearance of tinea capitis, there were no statistically significant differences between the two drugs in terms of overall outcome or tolerability, apart from in a subgroup of patients with Trichophyton infections, and weighing > 20 kg, who responded better to terbinafine than to griseofulvin at 4 weeks. By contrast, there was a better response to griseofulvin than to terbinafine in patients with Microsporum audouinii infections, Conclusions Overall, the study showed that 4 weeks of treatment with oral terbinafine has similar efficacy to 8 weeks of treatment with griseofulvin for the management of tinea capitis in children.
AB - Background Tinea capitis is a common childhood infection that has recently become more frequent in urban areas in Europe and the U.S.A. The current licensed treatment in children is griseofulvin 10 mg kg(-1) daily, which is usually given for 6-8 weeks. Objectives To compare this treatment with a 4-week course of oral terbinafine. Methods Terbinafine was given at the following doses: in children weighing <20 kg, 62.5 mg daily; 20-40 kg, 125 mg daily; > 40 kg, 250 mg daily, Two hundred and ten children aged 2-16 years, with mycologically confirmed tinea capitis, were randomized to 4 weeks treatment with terbinafine or 8 weeks with griseofulvin, and followed for a total of 24 weeks to determine the difference between treatments with respect to short- and long-term efficacy and tolerability, Results One hundred and forty-seven patients were evaluable (terbinafine 77, griseofulvin 70), Although the 4-week course of terbinafine resulted in a trend to more rapid clearance of tinea capitis, there were no statistically significant differences between the two drugs in terms of overall outcome or tolerability, apart from in a subgroup of patients with Trichophyton infections, and weighing > 20 kg, who responded better to terbinafine than to griseofulvin at 4 weeks. By contrast, there was a better response to griseofulvin than to terbinafine in patients with Microsporum audouinii infections, Conclusions Overall, the study showed that 4 weeks of treatment with oral terbinafine has similar efficacy to 8 weeks of treatment with griseofulvin for the management of tinea capitis in children.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035118965&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2001.04022.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2001.04022.x
M3 - Article
SN - 1365-2133
VL - 144
SP - 321
EP - 327
JO - British Journal of Dermatology
JF - British Journal of Dermatology
IS - 2
ER -