title: Age as limiting factor of the efficacy of itraconazole for treatment of onychomycosis.
abstract: A clinical study was carried out involving 24 patients between 18 and 64 years of age with disto-lateral onychomycosis of finger and/or toenail in whom intermittent therapy with itraconazole was orally administered for 4 months. A follow-up period of 9 months was instituted to monitor the efficacy of the treatment. Clinical and mycological outcome at the end of the study was correlated with a checklist that included age and sex of the patient, site 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 into consideration, that was correlated with the cure rate. The association was found to be statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Immunopatologia Cutanea, Università di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 7, I-16132 Genova, Italia. Fiallo@essex.it
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fiallo
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Cardo
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole