ACCUMULATION OF FLUCONAZOLE IN SCALP HAIR

The accumulation in scalp hair of the antimycotic triazole, fluconazol e, was studied during and after administration. Fluconazole 50 mg was administered to 22 healthy subjects as a single capsule each day for 2 8 days. The concentration of fluconazole 5 hours after administration was measured in different 1-cm sections of scalp hair at intervals dur ing treatment and for 6 months after the end of treatment, in each sec tion of scalp hair the concentration of fluconazole increased during t reatment and was consistently higher than values found in plasma. For example, the mean concentration in the first hair section on day 28, 1 9.8 mu g/g, corresponded to a mean penetration ratio relative to plasm a of 9.42. During administration, the maximal concentration of flucona zole was found in the first hair section. After cessation of administr ation, the measured concentrations of fluconazole decreased and greate r concentrations were found in the distal hair sections, presumably as a result of hair growth. Fluconazole was detectable, however, in the hair of 9 of the 12 subjects even 6 months after treatment. The mean c oncentration of fluconazole in hair bulbs on day 28 was 12.1 mu g/g (n = 6), corresponding to a mean penetration ratio of 5.99. in a second study, fluconazole was administered as a single oral 150-mg capsule pe r week for 4 weeks fa a group of 8 healthy subjects. The mean fluconaz ole concentration in whole scalp hair 5 hours after the last dose was 3.2 mu g/g.