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New treatments for tinea capitis

Yuin-Chew Chan1, Sheila Fallon Friedlander

  • 1National Skin Centre, 1 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308205.

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
|March 17, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Newer oral antifungals like terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole offer effective, safe, and shorter treatment options for tinea capitis (scalp ringworm) compared to griseofulvin.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Tinea capitis is a fungal infection of the scalp, predominantly affecting children.
  • The main pathogens, Trichophyton tonsurans and Microsporum canis, vary geographically.
  • Griseofulvin is the standard U.S. treatment, but newer agents are emerging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the efficacy and safety of newer oral antifungal agents for tinea capitis.
  • To compare these agents with the current standard of care, griseofulvin.
  • To highlight the role of adjuvant topical therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical studies and reports on oral antifungal agents for tinea capitis.
  • Evaluation of terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole.
  • Consideration of ketoconazole and selenium sulfide shampoos as adjuvant therapy.

Main Results:

  • Newer oral antifungals (terbinafine, itraconazole, fluconazole) demonstrate effectiveness and safety.
  • These agents offer shorter treatment durations compared to griseofulvin.
  • Limited trials exist for fluconazole, while terbinafine and itraconazole have more documented experience.

Conclusions:

  • Short-term use of terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole is comparable to griseofulvin in efficacy and safety.
  • Epidemiological surveillance of fungal organisms and their susceptibility is crucial for managing tinea capitis.
  • While griseofulvin remains a common choice, newer agents provide viable alternatives.
Abstract

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