Comparison of the in vitro activity of terbinafine and lanoconazole against dermatophytes.

The objective of this study was to compare the antifungal activity of terbinafine (TERB) with that of lanoconazole (LAN). Test isolates, which were clinical isolates of Japanese origin, included 10 strains each of Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes and Epidermophyton floccosum. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of TERB and LAN against each dermatophyte isolate was determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute microbroth methodology, M38-A2. Minimum fungicidal concentrations were determined by subculturing the contents of each visibly clear well from the MIC assay for colony count. All LAN MICs were <or=0.008 microg ml(-1), while the TERB range was 0.008-0.03 microg ml(-1). Moreover, by standard definition, LAN was fungistatic against most strains, whereas TERB was fungicidal. Both LAN and TERB demonstrated potent antifungal activity against dermatophytes; however, the lack of fungicidal activity by LAN needs to be evaluated in terms of potential clinical efficacy.