Age as limiting factor of the efficacy of itraconazole for treatment of onychomycosis

A clinical study was carried out involving 24 patients between 18 and 64 ye ars of age with disto-lateral onychomycosis of finger and/or toenail in who m intermittent therapy with itraconazole was orally administered for 4 mont hs. A follow-up period of 9 months was instituted to monitor the efficacy o f the treatment. Clinical and mycological outcome at the end of the study w as correlated with a checklist that included age and sex of the patient, si te of infection and species of the causative agent. Nails that were free of disease in both gross and mycological examinations were achieved in 58% of our patients. Age was shown to be the only parameter, among those taken in to consideration, that was correlated with the cure rate. The association w as found to be statistically significant.