A comparative study on efficacy of oral ultramicrosized griseofulvin and oral itraconazole on dermatophytic infection of skin

• Author Details:   
• Amarjeet Singh
• Kshitij Saxena
• Riya Kalawat ^*
• Ketki .
• Bhavika Bansal
• Hansa Srivastava
• Nidhi Khatri

---

View PDF

Introduction: Dermatophytosis is a common superficial fungal infection affecting keratinized tissues, with significant health and cosmetic impacts. Though itraconazole is widely used due to its broad-spectrum antifungal efficacy, its higher cost and adverse effects necessitate exploration of alternatives like ultramicrosized griseofulvin. This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of oral itraconazole and oral ultramicrosized griseofulvin in the treatment of tinea corporis and tinea cruris.

Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted over 24 months at Era’s Lucknow Medical College & Hospital. A total of 243 patients with KOH-confirmed tinea corporis or tinea cruris were randomly allocated into two groups: Group A (n=121) received oral itraconazole 100 mg twice daily, and Group B (n=122) received oral ultramicrosized griseofulvin 500 mg twice daily for six weeks. Clinical, mycological, and symptomatic evaluations were performed at baseline and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. p-values <0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: Both groups were comparable in baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. Among the 88 patients receiving itraconazole and 83 receiving ultramicrosized griseofulvin, recurrence rates were comparable. At 8 weeks, scaling resolution was significantly higher with Itraconazole (97.0% vs 76.9%), while erythema and pruritus showed similar improvement across groups. Recurrence rates and KOH negativity were comparable between groups. No adverse events necessitating treatment withdrawal were reported in either group.

Conclusion: Ultramicrosized griseofulvin is a safe, cost-effective, and clinically effective alternative to itraconazole for treating dermatophytosis, particularly in low-resource settings.