A double-blind trial of 1% ketoconazole shampoo versus placebo in the treatment of dandruff.

The efficacy of 1% ketoconazole shampoo in the treatment of dandruff was tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 176 patients. The application of the shampoo twice weekly gave a good or excellent result in 74% of the patients treated with ketoconazole versus 20% of the patients treated with placebo after 2 weeks. After 4 weeks these results were 80% versus 23%. The shampoo was well tolerated. Only one patient in the ketoconazole group stopped treatment because of greasy hair.