ORAL ITRACONAZOLE VERSUS TOPICAL BIFONAZOLE TREATMENT IN EXPERIMENTALDERMATOPHYTOSIS

Guinea pigs, infected with either Trichophyton mentagrophytes or Micro sporum canis, were treated orally or topically with azole antifungals daily for two weeks. Fungi located in the stratum corneum were affecte d similarly by both treatment schedules, showing typical cell wall cha nges after azole exposure and necrosis of internal organelles. Fungi l ocated in the hair sheaths were affected only by the oral treatment, w hich not only prevented invasion of the inner hair structures and infl ammatory responses but also led to a complete clearance of the infecti on within 7 days. Topically applied azole treatment was not able to in jure fungi in the hair sheaths and did not suppress invasion into the hair shafts. These observations are in favour of oral antifungal medic ation with azoles for the treatment of dermatophyte infections involvi ng hairy skin.