Comparison of the efficacy of fluconazole and griseofulvin in tinea capitis

ABSTRACT

Tinea capitis is a relatively common fungal infection in children. Although several oral antifungal agents have been used in the treatment of tinea capitis, griseofulvin has been considered as the treatment of choice for a long time. To compare the therapeutic effects of fluconazole with griseofulvin on tinea capitis. Through a randomized, single-blinded, clinical trial on 40 clinically suspected and mycologically confirmed tinea capitis cases, 19 cases received oral fluconazole for 4 weeks and 21 patients were treated with griseofulvin for 6 weeks. All patients were evaluated clinically and mycologically before receiving their treatment and 8 weeks after the begining of treatment. The age range of the patients was from 1 to 16 years. Thirty-two cases were males. Mycology studies indicated that the causative agents were Trichophyton verrucosum in 16 cases, Trichophyton violaceum in 16 cases and Microsporum canis in 8 cases. At the end of the eighth week of the begining of treatment, 15 cases were cured in the fluconazole group compared with 16 cases in the griseofulvin group [P>0.05]. It seems that griseofulvin could be still considered as the first choice drug in the treatment of tinea capitis and fluconazole could be used as an alternative drug