Ketoconazole treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis.

Five patients received ketoconazole treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. One also had disseminated histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis. Ketoconazole was well absorbed after an oral dose of 200 mg and produced detectable antifungal blood levels for more than eight hours after each dose. Thrush cleared in less than two weeks in all patients. Cutaneous lesions cleared slowly during several months of treatment. A patient with polymycotic infection had a rapid clearing of candidiasis, but her histoplasmosis did not respond to three weeks of treatment. Adverse drug effects were minimal. Ketoconazole is a promising new agent for treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis.