Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of dermatophytes--comparison of the agar macrodilution and broth microdilution tests.

Fifty dermatophyte strains, recently obtained from clinical material, belonging to 4 different species were examined for their susceptibility to 5 systemic or topical antimycotic agents using both an agar macrodilution and a broth microdilution test. Antimycotics compared were griseofulvin, itraconazole, sertaconazole, terbinafine and ciclopiroxolamine. A comparison of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) clearly showed differences between the two test methods applied. For all 5 antimycotics, MIC data were three- to seventy-fold lower in the microdilution test system. These differences, depending on the test method, have to be taken into account when comparing MIC data in the literature or when relating the in vitro data to the tissue concentrations determined in vivo.

Oral terbinafine in tinea capitis in children.

Tinea capitis is a disease that frequently affects children. In most cases systemic antimycotic treatment is necessary Griseofulvin is still the drug of choice, but requires prolonged periods of treatment (several months). To estimate the efficiency and tolerability of terbinafine for treatment of tinea capitis in children, four patients (aged 3-9 years) with tinea capitis proven by culture were treated with terbinafine at a dose of 125 mg a day for different periods (4-10 weeks). Isolates were subjected to minimal inhibitory concentration testing against terbinafine and griseofulvin. In all four cases terbinafine treatment resulted in complete remission. The clinical response was accompanied by negative culture results on follow-up. Terbinafine was well tolerated in each case. Determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration confirmed the excellent in vitro activity of terbinafine against dermatophytes. Controlled studies involving a larger number of children are necessary to answer questions concerning dose and duration of terbinafine treatment as well as the frequency and severity of drug-related side-effects.

[Experimental study of the effect of raw materials of the neem tree and neem extracts on dermatophytes, yeasts and molds]. / Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Wirkung von Bestandteilen des Niembaumes und daraus hergestellten Extrakten auf Dermatophyten, Hefen und Schimmelpilze.

In traditional Indian medicine, various parts of the neem tree have been used for centuries, especially with skin diseases. These products are often applied in human mycoses. We tested some dried neem materials, neem oils as well as simple neem preparations and extracts with regard to their effect on 14 of the most common pathogenic fungi. Neither the dried neem materials nor the medical preparations and oils had any effect on fungal growth; most of them were even contaminated with molds. Some of the extracts, however, showed antimycotic properties, which decreased with rising solvent polarity. Petrolether leaf extract proved most effective. One of the possible explanations might be the fact that it contains quercetin, a flavonoid.