[Is amphotericin B active against dermatophytes and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis?]

The in vitro antifungal activity of amphotericin B was compared with that of griseofulvin, ketoconazole, clotrimazole and terbinafine in 193 clinical isolates of dermatophytes and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. An agar diffusion method was used (NeoSensitabs) to categorize the susceptibility of the isolates as susceptible, intermediate or resistant to the antifungal agents. Using this method and following a standardized protocol adapted to the growth conditions of the dermatophytes and the opportunistic mold S. brevicaulis (inoculum size, temperature and time period of incubation), it was found that the in vitro susceptibility rates were 72%, 94.3%, 81.9%, 72% and 86% for amphotericin B, terbinafine, griseofulvin, ketoconazole and clotrimazole, respectively. Resistance percentages were 12.4%, 3.6%, 18.1%, 10.4% and 4.1% for the same antifungal agents. Amphotericin B showed no antifungal activity against S. brevicaulis; its activity against dermatophytes was similar to that of ketoconazole, and lower than that for clotrimazole and terbinafine.