Oral terbinafine versus griseofulvin in the treatment of moccasin-type tinea pedis.

The safety and effectiveness of oral terbinafine, 125 mg twice daily, and griseofulvin, 250 mg twice daily, in patients with moccasin-type tinea pedis were examined in a double-blind randomized trial. At the end of the 6-week treatment period, both a clinical and mycologic cure or a mycologic cure with minimal signs of infection was noted in 12 (75%) of the 16 terbinafine-treated patients compared with only 3 (27%) of the 12 patients treated with griseofulvin. The overall response rate 2 weeks after the completion of treatment was 88% in the terbinafine-treated group and 45% in the griseofulvin-treated group. When contacted again 6 to 15 months after completion of the study, 94% of the terbinafine-treated patients reported sustained clearing of tinea pedis, and 88% of those with nail involvement at the time of treatment reported improvement. In contrast, tinea pedis remained cured in only 30% of the patients who had received griseofulvin, and onychomycosis improved in only 14%.