title: Efficacy of griseofulvin and itraconazole in the treatment of experimentally induced dermatophytosis in cats.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy of itraconazole and griseofulvin in the treatment of Microsporum canis infection, 15 juvenile cats were infected by topical application of 10(5) live M canis macroconidia to the skin of the lateral part of the trunk, and an occlusive bandage was applied. After 3 weeks, cats were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups (n = 5 each): cats in the first group received griseofulvin (50 mg/kg of body weight, PO, q 24 h); the second group received itraconazole (10 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h); and the third group (control) received an equivalent volume of vehicle (without drug, PO, q 24 h). Treatment continued for 100 days, or until mycologic cure (lack of dermatophyte isolation on 3 consecutive weekly fungal cultures) was achieved. Infection in all cats peaked in severity at week 6 after inoculation, then gradually resolved over the next 11 weeks. The itraconazole-treated group was the first to achieve a cure, after receiving 56 days of treatment, followed by the griseofulvin-treated group at 70 days. None of the cats in the control group reached mycologic cure after 100 days of treatment. As early as day 14 of treatment, the griseofulvin- and itraconazole-treated groups had significantly (P < 0.05) lower mean infection scores, compared with those in the control group. Significant differences in the mean infection scores between the itraconazole- and griseofulvin-treated groups were not found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Moriello
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: DeBoer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002415:Cats; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D006118:Griseofulvin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008864:Microsporum / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole; D006118:Griseofulvin