[Systemic terbinafine treatment of dermatophytoses in children]

Terbinafine is the first orally active allylamine. Though it is available since several years, experience in children is rather limited. We report about five cases of dermatophytoses in children successfully treated with oral terbinafine. Five children (age: 10 month to 14 years) with a clinical and mycological diagnosis of dermatophytosis were treated with oral terbinafine according to their body weight: 250 mg/d (< 40 kg), 125 mg/d (20-40 kg) and 62.5 mg/d (< 20 kg). The course of treatment was 2 to 4 weeks. In 2/5 patients previous systemic treatment with oral griseofulvin failed. Terbinafine therapy resulted in a complete clearance of mycotic infections (both clinical and mycological) in 5/5 children. No unwanted side-effects were observed. During a nine month follow-up no relaps occurred. In our five cases tolerability, clinical and mycological response of terbinafin therapy were excellent. Its penetration into sebum and only slow release from skin glands may explain the efficacy even in short-time therapy.