title: Treatment of chromomycosis with terbinafine: preliminary results of an open pilot study.
abstract: In an open trial, long courses (6-12 months) of terbinafine at a dosage of 500 mg/day were administered orally to 43 patients with a diagnosis of chromomycosis. Sixteen patients (37.2%) had previously relapsed after one or two courses of thiabendazole. A spectacular improvement in the lesions, including disappearance of bacterial superinfections and of associated oedema and elephantiasis, was observed as soon as 2-4 months after the beginning of treatment. The mean number of fungal cells in skin scrapings fell by about 70% in 4 months. Mycological cure, as judged by skin scrapings, was observed in 41.4, 74.1 and 82.5% of patients infected with Fonsecaea pedrosoi after 4, 8 and 12 months of therapy, respectively. For the first time with this disease, total cure was observed even in imidazole-refractory patients or chronic cases (47.2% with a lesion present for longer than 10 years). The efficacy of terbinafine in Cladosporium carrionii-infected patients seemed higher, as indicated by the examination at 4 months.
authors.affiliation: Parasitology and Pathology Units, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Esterre
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Inzan
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Ramarcel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andriantsimahavandy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ratsioharana
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pecarrere
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roig
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002862:Chromoblastomycosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D002963:Cladosporium; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008270:Madagascar; D008297:Male; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D000077291:Terbinafine; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009281:Naphthalenes; D000077291:Terbinafine