Comparative Study Between Pulsed and Continuous Itraconazole for the  Treatment of Onychomycosis

Objective: To compare efficacy of pulsed versus continuous daily oral Itraconazole in the treatment of onychomycosis. Study Design: Randomized Control Trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05567484). Place and Duration of Study: Department of Dermatology, Combined Military Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan, fr...

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Published in:Pakistan Armed Forces medical journal 2024-10, Vol.74 (5), p.1303-1306
Main Authors: Rahmat, Rohida, Hussain, Majid, Muzaffar, Bushra, Akbar, Nadia, Siddique, Muhammad Adeel, Aftab, Kanza
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age groups
Antifungal agents
Cardiovascular disease
Clinical trials
Comparative analysis
Dermatology
Diabetes
Drug dosages
Drug therapy
Females
Fingers & toes
Fungi
Infections
Itraconazole
Microscopy
Onychomycosis
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Summary:Objective: To compare efficacy of pulsed versus continuous daily oral Itraconazole in the treatment of onychomycosis. Study Design: Randomized Control Trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05567484). Place and Duration of Study: Department of Dermatology, Combined Military Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan, from May to Dec 2021. Methodology: We enrolled 60 patients whose toenails showed signs of onychomycosis (crumbling nail plates, thicker nail beds, and yellowing). They were randomly divided into Group-A and Group-B, with 30 patients each. Group -A (Pulse Therapy) took two capsules of oral Itraconazole 100 mg twice weekly for one week every month for three months while Group-B (Continuous Therapy) received continuous oral 100 mg of Itraconazole once daily for 12 weeks continuously. Patients were subjected to an Onychomycosis Severity Index-based clinical evaluation. Results: In Group-A (Pulse Therapy), 25(83.3%) patients showed mycological cure whereas in Group-B (Continuous Therapy), 23(76.7%) patients showed mycological cure but difference in the efficacy of both drugs was not statistically significant (p-value=0.519). Conclusion: Pulsed therapy with Itraconazole and continuous Itraconazole therapy have comparable efficacies in treating dermatophyte toenail onychomycosis.
ISSN:0030-9648
2411-8842
DOI:10.51253/pafmj.v74i5.9366