Intermittent short duration therapy with fluconazole is effective for tinea capitis

We have demonstrated in an open multicentre investigation that oral flucona zole 6 mg/kg daily for 2 weeks, followed, if clinically indicated four week s from the start of therapy, by an extra week of treatment at the same dosa ge, may be effective and safe in the treatment of tinea capitis, Of a total of 48 patients, there were 42 evaluable children <18 years old (19 boys, 2 3 girls; mean age 6.2 years, range 1.5-16). The causative organisms were Tr ichophyton tonsurans (38 subjects) and T. violaceum (four). In the 42 evalu able patients, a 2-week course of fluconazole was administered in 21, with the remainder requiring 1 additional week of therapy. At follow-up 12 weeks from the start of therapy, mycological and clinical cure was recorded in 3 7 of the 42 evaluable patients (88.1%, 95% confidence interval 83.1-93.1%). The treatment was well tolerated, with no clinical adverse effects, This r egimen appears to be effective and safe, and is associated with high compli ance. The preliminary results of the investigation need to be evaluated in a larger sample of patients, and in tinea capitis caused by zoophilic speci es.