TERBINAFINE VERSUS ITRACONAZOLE - A CONTROLLED CLINICAL COMPARISON INONYCHOMYCOSIS OF THE TOENAILS

Background: Because of the relative clinical inefficacy of antifungal therapy in the past, onychomycosis has largely been viewed as an incur able condition. The availability of two new oral antifungal agents sug gests the possibility of revising this clinical precept. Objective: Th is study compared the efficacy and tolerability of terbinafine and itr aconazole in the treatment of onychomycosis of the toenails. Methods: This investigation was a multicenter, double-blind, parallel group stu dy. The primary therapeutic endpoints measured were mycologic cure and clinical improvement. Results: Mycologic cure rates (negative culture and microscopy) at the end of the study were 81% for terbinafine vers us 63% for itraconazole (2p < 0.01). A total of 92% of terbinafine-tre ated patients had negative cultures at the end of the study, compared with 67% of itraconazole-treated patients (2p < 0.0001). Terbinafine w as more effective than itraconazole in increasing the length of the un affected area of the target nail: 9.44 mm versus 7.85 mm (2p < 0.05). Conclusion: Terbinafine is more effective than itraconazole in the tre atment of toenail onychomycosis.