Percutaneous absorption of sulconazole nitrate in humans

The percutaneous absorption of 1% sulconazole nitrate in a cream formulation containing 3H-labeled drug has been studied in seven human subjects. Two applications of 4.5 g each were made to 450 cm2 of abdominal skin at 0 and 12 h, and the site was washed at 24 h. The application site was subsequently washed at 24-h intervals for 3 consecutive days, and 6.7% of the dose was recovered in the urine and 2.0% in the feces following a 7-d collection period. Radioactivity was detectable in the plasma from 8-96 h, with a peak occurring at 24 h, and could also be recovered in the skin wash up to 96 h after application. Total percutaneous absorption of sulconazole was estimated to be 8.7-11.3% of the applied dose, considerably more than that previously reported for other imidazole drugs.