Itraconazole therapy in pityriasis versicolor

The efficacy of itraconazole was assessed in an open trial in 30 patients with disseminated lesions of pityriasis versicolor confirmed by direct microscopy. The patients were allocated randomly to one of two treatment regimens, 200 mg once daily for 5 days or 100 mg once daily for 10 days. On assessment 3 weeks after the end of the treatment, 25 patients were healed, two patients had mild residual lesions, two had considerable residual lesions and one patient had relapsed. One patient reported dyspepsia and one patient reported stomach ache. One patient had asymptomatic elevation of serum transaminase (GOT and GPT) but this had returned to normal 3 weeks after the end of therapy.