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Successful treatment of dandruff with 1.5% ciclopirox olamine shampoo in Korea
1Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Background:
Dandruff is a chronic scalp condition characterized by scaling. The common causative agent is now accepted to be the lipophilic yeast Malassezia furfur. Ketoconazole, a highly effective antifungal agent against M. furfur has been used for the treatment of dandruff.
Aim:
To determine whether a 1.5% ciclopirox olamine shampoo is as effective as a 2% ketoconazole shampoo for the treatment of mild to moderate dandruff.
Methods:
A total of 64 patients, with mild to moderate dandruff, participated in the study. The study consisted of three consecutive phases: a 2-week washout period, a 4-week treatment period and a 2-week post-treatment period. Patients were randomized equally to either the 1.5% ciclopirox olamine shampoo or 2% ketoconazole shampoo. An overall dandruff score was calculated using an area of dandruff involvement score and a severity score. Patients evaluated the presence of pruritus and also reported a global evaluation of efficacy.
Results:
In all, 57 patients successfully completed all three phases. The overall dandruff score declined progressively throughout the treatment period for both shampoos. A slight increase in pruritus was observed in the ciclopirox olamine treatment group during the post-treatment phase. Regarding global self-assessment of efficacy, both treatment groups were pleased with their scalp condition following treatment.
Conclusion:
Ciclopirox olamine shampoo appears to offer an effective, safe and easy to use treatment for mild to moderate dandruff.
