ABSTRACT

Background: About 20 to 25% of the global population is affected by the fungal skin infections. Different antifungal drugs used in traditional doses have developed widespread resistance, necessitating the development of an efficient antifungal treatment.

Objective: To assess efficacy of itraconazole vs itraconazole plus isotretinoin in treatment of chronic tinea.  

Methodology: This was comparative study conducted at the Department of Dermatology Qazi Hussain Ahmad Complex Nowshera and alshifa clinic and skin aesthetic, Nowshera for duration of one year from November 2020 to November 2021.  In both group A and B, 40 individuals were taken randomly.  Treatment of group A patients was done with oral itraconazole and isotretinoin while patients of group B treatment was done with oral itraconazole alone. All patients were monitored for four weeks to assess their responsiveness to therapy and side effects.  

Results: Complete cure response was recorded in all the patients of group A, while in group B, complete cure response was recorded in 20 (50%) patients. A statistically significant treatment response was observed between both the groups (p<0.05). There were 22 (55%) individuals in group A and 7 (17.5%) patients in group B who had cheilitis and dryness of the lips as major adverse effects.