Related Experiment Videos
Drugs for treating paracoccidioidomycosis
V M Menezes1, B G O Soares, C J F Fontes
1Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Av Fernando Correia da Costa S.N. Coxipó, Cuiabá MT, Brazil. vmen@terra.com.br
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|April 21, 2006
Summary
This study evaluated antifungal drugs for paracoccidioidomycosis, a serious fungal infection. Results showed no significant difference in cure rates or adverse events between imidazoles and sulfadiazine in a small trial.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Paracoccidioidomycosis is a prevalent fungal infection in Latin America.
- Treatment is lengthy (up to two years) and can lead to complications like relapse.
- Mortality is high without effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of drugs used for treating paracoccidioidomycosis.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of multiple databases (Cochrane, PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS) up to January 2006.
- Inclusion of randomized controlled trials comparing different drugs for paracoccidioidomycosis treatment.
- Independent assessment of trial eligibility, quality, and data extraction, including adverse events.
Main Results:
- One trial involving 42 participants met the criteria, comparing imidazoles (itraconazole, ketoconazole) with sulfadiazine.
- No statistically significant differences were observed in cure rates, clinical improvement, or serological titers after 10 months.
- Adverse event profiles were similar between the treatment groups.
Conclusions:
- The limited number of participants and short follow-up duration in the included trial restrict definitive conclusions.
- Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to establish optimal treatment strategies for paracoccidioidomycosis.