Mycoses Journal: Published on April 2021

Dermatomycoses of zoophilic origin, especially those caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes, often pose considerable therapeutic problems. This is reflected in the growing number of strains of this species with resistance to terbinafine caused by a mutation in the squalene epoxidase (SQLE) gene.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE:

·       The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo effectiveness of topical therapy with luliconazole or terbinafine cream.

·       Therapeutic efficacy was assessed using direct examination in KOH with DMSO, qPCR analysis with pan-dermatophyte primers and culturing. Moreover, in vitro susceptibility tests for luliconazole and terbinafine were performed.

·       In all studied cases, 28-day local therapy with luliconazole contributed to the complete eradication of the aetiological agent of infection.

·       The results demonstrated significantly higher antifungal activity of luliconazole than terbinafine against dermatomycoses caused by T. mentagrophytes.

CONCLUSION:

Given the increasingly frequent reports of difficult-to-treat dermatophytoses caused by terbinafine-resistant strains, the 1% luliconazole cream can be an alternative solution in topical therapy.