FRONTLINE MEDICAL NEWS – Dr. Boni E. Elewski.

Luliconazole (NULIZA ®) has something unique to offer when it comes to treating tinea pedis. This is an azole drug, meaning it is broad spectrum and kills dermatophytes, yeast, and molds. Also, like all azoles, it has some antibacterial activity.

The generic Luliconazole (NULIZA ®) is approved for once-daily use for 2 weeks, and that’s good because the short treatment duration improves adherence to the regimen, especially compared with other drugs that require 4-6 weeks of treatment to eradicate the problem.

The drug also stays in the skin and continues working after treatment stops.

Tinea pedis may not be obvious. People don't complain very often. Doctors should keep looking harder because it might be seen under the magnifying glass.

“If they don’t have tinea pedis, they probably don’t have onychomycosis unless they’ve had tinea pedis recently and got rid of it,” she said.

Tinea pedis and onychomycosis are related. If a patient has onychomycosis, look at the bottom of their foot for presence of T. pedis. 

T. pedis usually presents with collarettes of scale, which may look fine- scally area and may look like “tiny little circular pieces of scale on the medial or lateral foot.”

Interdigital tinea pedis will be a little more obvious, with scaling and crusting between the toes, as well as maceration and oozing in many cases. When the toe web is oozing, its likely diagnosis is intertrigo. 

In such cases, an azole cream is the better treatment choice, because azoles will kill Candida, bacteria, and Dermatophytes.