Naftifine cream 1% versus econazole cream 1% in the treatment of tinea cruris and tinea corporis.

Data from 104 subjects with tinea cruris or tinea corporis were evaluated in this double-blind, randomized study. The subjects applied naftifine cream 1% or econazole nitrate cream 1% to affected areas twice daily for 4 weeks. After 1 week of treatment naftifine had an overall cure rate of 19% compared with 4% for econazole (p = 0.03). A difference in favor of naftifine, although not statistically significant after the first week, persisted throughout treatment. Two weeks after the end of treatment both medications had overall cure rates of approximately 80%. Three percent of the naftifine-treated subjects had side effects compared with 13% of the econazole-treated subjects. In two subjects using econazole, the side effects were severe enough to warrant discontinuation of treatment.