Onychomycosis with Dermatophytoma Completely Cured after Treatment of Regular Subungual Application of Antifungal Solution with Systemic Antifungal Therapy and Topical Nail Laquer Application / 대한의진균학회지

ABSTRACT

Systemic antifungal therapy is essential to cure onychomycosis but when used alone, its complete cure rate is less than 50%. Therefore, combination therapy is preferred to achieve higher cure rate of onychomycosis, especially severely infected onychomycosis. For effective treatment of onychomycosis, it is important how antifungal agents reach causative fungi in the nail lesion. If there are dermatophytoma or onycholysis, biofilms and space may disturb antifungal agent to reach the fungi in the nail lesion. If direct antifungal solution is applied to the space, it can be spread with capillary action to the space and fungi. A 57-year old male patient presented onychomycosis with infected nail matrix and dermatophytoma, which had recurred after combination therapy of oral and topical antifungal agents before. He had been treated with subungual antifungal solution added to systemic terbinafine (250 mg/day) and amorolfine nail lacquer for initial 3 months, and with subungual antifungal solution and nail lacquer for the next 4 months, and nail lacquer only for the rest period. After 3 months treatment, totally involved left great toe nail showed 50% of normal healthy nail growing from the proximal nail fold. His infected nails eventually showed complete normal nails 1 year after the initial treatment.