Treatment of toenail onychomycosis. A randomized, double-blind study with terbinafine and griseofulvin. LAGOS II Study Group.

BACKGROUND AND DESIGN

The fungicidal mode of action of terbinafine should make it feasible to reduce treatment duration in onychomycosis. For this reason, a randomized, double-blind study in 195 patients with severe dermatophyte infections of the toenails was performed comparing a 24-week treatment with terbinafine (250 mg/d) with a 48-week treatment with micronized griseofulvin (1000 mg/d).

RESULTS

After 48 weeks, effective treatment was achieved in 67% of the patients treated with terbinafine and in 56% of those treated with griseofulvin (two-tailed P = .120). At a follow-up visit 24 weeks later, cure rates had decreased to 60% in the terbinafine group and to 39% in the griseofulvin group (two-tailed P = .006). At the same time, the mycological cure rate was 81% with terbinafine and 62% with griseofulvin (two-tailed P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

This study has demonstrated the longterm therapeutic superiority of terbinafine to high-dose griseofulvin in the treatment of toenail mycosis. Furthermore, with the new antifungal terbinafine, treatment is no longer necessary until all affected nail material has grown out.