Clinical and Pharmacokinetic Studies of Continuous Itraconazole for the Treatment of Onychomycosis

Itraconazole, a triazole antifungal agent, has been widely used for onychomycosis with high cure rates. Unchanged itraconazole and a major metabolite hydroxy‐itraconazole reach the nail with a strong affinity for keratin. The aim of this study was to elucidate clinical effectiveness and pharmacokine...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of dermatology 2004-02, Vol.31 (2), p.104-108
Main Authors: Kawada, Akira, Aragane, Yoshinori, Tezuka, Tadashi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Administration, Oral
Adult
Aged
Antifungal Agents - administration & dosage
Antifungal Agents - pharmacokinetics
Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use
Drug Administration Schedule
Female
Humans
itraconazole
Itraconazole - administration & dosage
Itraconazole - pharmacokinetics
Itraconazole - therapeutic use
Male
Middle Aged
nail growth
Nails - chemistry
Nails - metabolism
onychomycosis
Onychomycosis - drug therapy
Onychomycosis - pathology
pharmacokinetics
Treatment Outcome
turbidity
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Summary:Itraconazole, a triazole antifungal agent, has been widely used for onychomycosis with high cure rates. Unchanged itraconazole and a major metabolite hydroxy‐itraconazole reach the nail with a strong affinity for keratin. The aim of this study was to elucidate clinical effectiveness and pharmacokinetic profiles of a 6‐month continuous itraconazole treatment at a daily dose of 100 mg. Nail growth, the decrease in nail turbidity, and the nail concentrations of unchanged‐ and hydroxy‐itraconazole were investigated. The affected nails we examined demonstrated nail growth proportional to the decrease in turbidity and a quick increase in drug concentration with a long duration of a high concentration after cessation. Our results support the hypothesis that this continuous therapy is a good modality for onychomycosis.
ISSN:0385-2407
1346-8138
DOI:10.1111/j.1346-8138.2004.tb00516.x