title: Treatment outcome and relapse with short-term oral terbinafine (250 mg/day) in tinea pedis.
abstract: A total of 168 patients with tinea pedis, but without onychomycosis, were treated with 1 cycle of terbinafine (TBF) (1 cycle: defined as 250 mg/day for 1 week). KOH preparation for direct microscopy was performed 4, 8 and 12 weeks after starting therapy to determine if testing was positive for tinea. Patients with no negative results on KOH examination or no evidence of obvious clinical improvement at 8 weeks, another cycle of the therapy was prescribed. The "cure", "no cure", "dropout", and "discontinuation/unevaluable" rates were 89.3%, 4.8%, 4.8% and 1.2%, respectively. The number of cycles required for cure in the plantar type was 1 cycle in 65.9% and 2 cycles in 54.5% of cases; in the interdigital type, 1 cycle in 79.1% and 2 cycles in 20.9% of cases; and mixed type, 1 cycle in 29.1% and 2 cycles in 60.9% cases. Among patients who were followed for at least 3 years after cure, the relapse rates were about 10% each year: 1 year, 11.3%; 2 years, 8.9%; and 3 years, 11.2%. The relapse rate of about 10% each year over a 3-year period suggests that reinfection may be likely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Iwao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takiuchi
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.forename: Taizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamaguchi
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Higuchi
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D006878:Hydroxides; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D012008:Recurrence; D000077291:Terbinafine; D014008:Tinea Pedis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D006878:Hydroxides; D009281:Naphthalenes; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D000077291:Terbinafine; C029943:potassium hydroxide