Terbinafine ointment vs miconazole ointment in treatment of superficial dermatomycoses

AIM: To compare the therapeutic efficacy of terbinafine ointment with that of miconazole ointment in the treatment of superficial dermatomycoses. METHODS: One hundsed and forty patients with superficial dermatomycoses were randomly divided into terbinafine group ( n =80, M42, F 38, age 42 a±s21 a ) and miconazole group ( n =60, M 29, F 31, age 42 a±19 a ). In terbinafine group 40 patients with tinea pedis/manus were treated for 2 wk; another 40 patients with tinea cruris/corporis were treated for 1 wk. 30 patients with tinea pedis/manus and 30 patients with tinea cruris/corporis in miconazole group were treaded for 4 wk and 2 wk respectively. RESULTS: Rates of effective treatment were 84% for terbinafine and 58% for miconazole ( P 0.05) when treatments were completed, 92% for terbinafine and 53% for miconazole at wk 2 after treatments ( P 0.05), and rates of mycological cure for terbinafine and miconazole were 94% and 68%, respectively ( P 0.01). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of terbinafine ointment in the treatment of superficial dermatomycoses is superior to that of miconazole ointment and its duration of therapy is shorter.