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Published on: December 31, 2017

Onychomycosis in children: an overview

Aditya K Gupta1, Alayne R Skinner, Robert Baran

  • 1Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Center (Sunnybrook Site), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. agupta@execulink.com

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology : JDD
|July 11, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Onychomycosis, a fungal nail infection, is rare in children. Approved treatments are lacking, but oral and topical antifungals show promise for safety and effectiveness in pediatric cases.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Mycology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Onychomycosis, a fungal nail infection, is uncommon in children, affecting approximately 0.3% globally.
  • Trichophyton rubrum is identified as the most frequent causative agent.
  • Current antifungal treatments are not specifically approved for pediatric onychomycosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the efficacy and safety of existing antifungal agents for treating onychomycosis in children.
  • To address the unmet need for approved pediatric onychomycosis therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on pediatric onychomycosis treatment.
  • Analysis of data on oral antifungals (terbinafine, itraconazole, fluconazole) and topical agents (ciclopirox, amorolfine).

Main Results:

  • Oral terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole demonstrated effectiveness.
  • Topical ciclopirox and amorolfine also showed positive outcomes.
  • These agents were generally found to be safe for use in the pediatric population.

Conclusions:

  • Despite lack of formal approval, oral and topical antifungal agents are effective and safe for treating pediatric onychomycosis.
  • Further research and regulatory consideration for pediatric-specific onychomycosis treatments are warranted.

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