Efficacy and safety of 1 % terbinafine film-forming solution in Chinese patients with tinea pedis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, parallel-group study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Superficial fungal skin infections are treated using topical antifungals. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of a single application of 1 % terbinafine film-forming solution (FFS) versus placebo for the treatment of tinea pedis in the Chinese population. METHODS: Six centers in China randomized 290 patients in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 1 % terbinafine FFS or FFS vehicle (placebo) once on the affected foot/feet. Efficacy assessments included microscopy and mycologic culture, and assessing clinical signs and symptoms at baseline, and at weeks 1 and 6 after the topical treatment. All adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: At week 6, 1 % terbinafine FFS was superior to placebo for effective treatment rate (63 vs. 8 %); clinical cure (30 vs. 6 %); mycological cure (86 vs. 12 %); negative microscopy (90 vs. 24 %); and negative mycological culture (90 vs. 27 %): all p ≤ 0.001 and clinically relevant. At week 6, 1 % terbinafine FFS was clinically superior to placebo for the absence of: erythema (69 vs. 29 %); desquamation (33 vs. 8 %); and pruritus (70 vs. 30 %): all p ≤ 0.001 and clinically relevant. At week 6, differences in the average total signs and symptoms scores were significantly lower for 1 % terbinafine FFS versus placebo (p ≤ 0.001). Both 1 % terbinafine FFS and placebo were safe and well tolerated based on adverse events and investigator and patient assessments. CONCLUSIONS: This double-blind, randomized, multicenter study demonstrated one single topical application of 1 % terbinafine FFS was safe and effective in the treatment of tinea pedis in the Chinese population.

Fungal infection of the feet in soccer players and non-athlete individuals.

This study was conducted to evaluate the occurrence of mycoses affecting the feet of soccer players and to compare this results with those in non-athlete individuals of the same age and sex. Initial evaluation consisted of a dermatological examination of the foot in 22 Chinese athletes, 83 Brazilian athletes and 24 Brazilian non-athletes. Scales of plantar skin, interdigital and subungual areas of the foot were collected for mycological examination (direct and culture). Nail clippings were obtained for histopathologic analysis. Tinea pedis was diagnosed more frequently among the non-athlete individuals. None of the Chinese athletes had tinea pedis alone. However, in this group onychomycosis was frequently higher when compared to the other groups. The fungal microbiota comprised Trichophyton rubrum (40%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (36.4%) and Candida spp (20%). Candida spp was isolated only from Brazilian athletes. Results obtained with KOH wet mounts agreed with the results obtained in culture and with histopathologic examinations (50.5% vs 40.9%). The frequency of tinea pedis among soccer players was lower than the other groups in this study, possibly due to health education and professional feet care.

Prevalence of tinea capitis and tinea pedis in Barcelona schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: Although dermatophytoses can appear at any age, some types are particularly prevalent in children. There are no prior data on the prevalence of tinea capitis and tinea pedis in Barcelona, Spain. To identify the prevalence of tinea in school children in the area with the highest immigrant population in this city, a cross-sectional study was performed. A second objective was to identify the etiologic agent to study the possibility of the introduction of foreign dermatophyte species and to evaluate the possibility of encountering healthy hosts. METHODS: From October 2002 until June 2003, we evaluated 1305 schoolchildren, ages 3-15 years, belonging to 21 schools located in the inner city of Barcelona to determine the prevalence of tinea capitis and pedis in school children. Cultures of scalp and feet were done in each child. RESULTS: 36(2.8%) children had tinea pedis and 3 (0.23%) had tinea capitis. One child had tinea capitis and tinea pedis, caused by different species (t. capitis caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes and tinea pedis caused by Trichophyton rubrum). Of the 39 positive cases for dermatophytes, the etiologic agent in 18 (46.1%) was T. mentagrophytes, 17 (43.5%) T. rubrum, 2 (5.5%) Epidermophyton floccosum and 2 (5.5%) Trichophyton tonsurans. Of these 39 cases of tinea, 15 (38.5%) were Spanish natives and 22 (56.4%) were immigrants. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of tinea capitis was lower that we had expected, and it was noted that there was a greater prevalence of tinea pedis among schoolchildren 13-15 years of age (64.10%), the great majority of them male. The number of cases of tinea was significantly greater in immigrants.

Fungal infection as a cause of skin disease in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia: tinea pedis and tinea manuum.

In the period between April 1984 and April 1988 a total of 4294 clinically suspected cases of dermatomycoses were examined for causative fungi. Of these cases 680 were suspected as tinea pedis and tinea manuum. These cases belonged to 21 different nationalities. Both sexes were represented and 649 cases (95.4%) were adults while 31 (4.6%) were prepubertals. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed by direct microscopy in 505 cases or 74.4% (485 adults and 20 prepubertal children). Out of these, 504 cases were positive on culture and yielded 516 isolates. Candida species and other yeasts were responsible for 88.9% and dermatophytes for 11.1% of these infections. The interdigital type of lesions was the most common type (91.9% of all infections) followed by the hyperkeratotic scaling type (6.9%) while the acute inflammatory type was only 1.2% of infections. Treatment showed satisfactory results in most of the cases.