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In a double-blind randomized study, 92 patients with culturally proven tinea corporis and/or tinea cruris were treated orally with either terbinafine (Lamisil) (125 mg b.i.d.) or griseofulvin (500 mg b.i.d.) for up to 6 weeks. The two groups of patients and distribution of the target lesions were similar, but the analysis of the clinical scores showed that the terbinafine group had slightly higher mean scores at baseline (P = 0.186). At the end of therapy the proportion of patients with negative microscopy and culture was 78% in the terbinafine group and 83% in the griseofulvin-treated group. At the assessment 8 weeks after the end of therapy the percentages of terbinafine- and griseofulvin-treated patients with negative mycology were 93 and 95%, respectively. There were three relapses after mycological cure in the griseofulvin group (8%) and two in the terbinafine group (4%). Griseofulvin-treated patients were treated for shorter periods than terbinafine-treated patients (i.e. 58% compared to 26% received only 2-4 weeks of therapy). In terms of overall effectiveness, there were no significant differences between the two treatments. Thirty-seven terbinafine patients (77%) compared to 36 griseofulvin patients (82%) had overall effective therapy. Eight terbinafine patients (16%) compared to 10 griseofulvin patients (20%) experienced at least one adverse event. Five patients in the terbinafine group and six in the griseofulvin group had to stop the treatment due to headaches or gastrointestinal disorders. One terbinafine patient had an elevation of liver function tests after 6 weeks of treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Summary Ninety patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment regimens for pityriasis versicolor consisting of a once daily application of bifonazole 1% solution for a single day, 2 days (day one and day three) or 3 days (day one, day three and day six). Overall clinical cure rates 3 weeks after the end of therapy ranged from 69·9% to 89·9%. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference (p 0·04) in favour of three days therapy at the assessment three weeks and 90 days after the etui of therapy. Short‐term therapy with three applications of bifonazol seems to be effective in most cases of pityriasis versicolor, and needs to be compared against alternative forms of antifungal therapy.

The efficacy of itraconazole was assessed in an open trial in 30 patients with disseminated lesions of pityriasis versicolor confirmed by direct microscopy. The patients were allocated randomly to one of two treatment regimens, 200 mg once daily for 5 days or 100 mg once daily for 10 days. On assessment 3 weeks after the end of the treatment, 25 patients were healed, two patients had mild residual lesions, two had considerable residual lesions and one patient had relapsed. One patient reported dyspepsia and one patient reported stomach ache. One patient had asymptomatic elevation of serum transaminase (GOT and GPT) but this had returned to normal 3 weeks after the end of therapy.