Broad spectrum antifungal agents in otomycosis.

The in vitro inhibitory activities of four currently used antimycotic agents (clotrimazole, econazole, miconazole and cyclopirox-olamine) against 304 fungal isolates comprising 51 species from 14 genera of moulds and yeasts, using a serial dilution procedure, were studied. Clotrimazole and econazole were found to have a grossly similar broad-spectrum antifungal activity, inhibiting all the tested yeasts and moulds at a concentration ranging from 0.1-4 micrograms/ml. At this range miconazole inhibited 90 per cent of the strains and cyclopirox-olamine inhibited 57 per cent only and thus they were less effective. Econazole 1 per cent solution was very effective in vivo in the treatment of otomycosis within 1-3 weeks. The drug was well tolerated, with no side-effects. Owing to the high broad-spectrum antifungal activity of clotrimazole and econazole, they should be the treatment of choice in otomycosis and can be used safely as otic drops.