Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2026
06:49
Reduced Itraconazole Concentration and Durations Are Successful in Treating Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection in Amphibians
Published on: March 15, 2014
Treating chromoblastomycosis with systemic antifungals.
Alexandro Bonifaz1, Vanessa Paredes-Solís, Amado Saúl
1Dermatology Service & Mycology Department, General Hospital of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico. bonyalx@servidor.unam.mx
Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy
|March 5, 2004
Summary
Chromoblastomycosis treatment involves multiple options with limited success and frequent relapses. Treatment choice depends on the fungal agent, lesion extent, and patient health, often using antifungals like itraconazole or terbinafine.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Dermatology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Chromoblastomycosis presents treatment challenges with no definitive choice, leading to low cure rates and high relapse rates.
- Treatment selection necessitates considering the specific fungal species (e.g., Fonsecaea pedrosoi), lesion characteristics, and patient's overall health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current treatment strategies for chromoblastomycosis.
- To highlight factors influencing treatment decisions and the efficacy of various therapeutic approaches.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on chromoblastomycosis treatments.
- Analysis of commonly used oral and systemic antifungal agents.
- Consideration of combination therapies including thermotherapy and surgery.
Main Results:
- High-dose itraconazole and terbinafine show the best outcomes but require prolonged treatment (6-12 months).
- Extensive or refractory cases may benefit from combining oral antifungals with thermotherapy or cryosurgery.
- Early or limited cases can be managed surgically alongside oral antifungal therapy.
Conclusions:
- Optimal chromoblastomycosis management requires individualized treatment plans based on clinical and etiological factors.
- Monitoring in vitro drug sensitivity, tolerability, and potential drug interactions is crucial for effective therapy.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Treating Helicobacter pylori in Peptic Ulcers: Antimicrobial Therapy
Helicobacter pylori, a resilient gram-negative bacterium, can thrive in the stomach's harsh, acidic environment. Infection with H. pylori leads to a cascade of events within the stomach lining. One of the critical disruptions caused by this bacterium is the interference with somatostatin production, a hormone responsible for regulating acid secretion. This interference tips the balance, escalating acid secretion and diminishing bicarbonate levels. This imbalance compromises the defensive...
01:28Fungal Phylum Microsporidia
Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
01:27Cryptococcal Meningitis
Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...
01:20Candidiasis
Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by opportunistic species of Candida. It can affect various anatomical sites, including the skin, oral cavity, nails, and genitourinary tract. Among its forms, vaginal candidiasis is the most common type of mucosal infection. It typically results from the overgrowth of Candida albicans in the vaginal mucosa. Under normal conditions, C. albicans exists as a commensal organism within the vaginal microbiota, regulated by the dominance of lactobacilli, which...
01:15Antifungal Agents
Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
01:21Antiprotozoal Agents
Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...