Hyperkeratotic chronic tinea pedis treated with neticonazole cream

A total of 126 patients with tinea pedis were entered into this 4-week study of neticonazole (SS Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Tokyo), a new imidazole derivative recently developed and launched in Japan as a topical antifungal agent applied either with or without occlusive dressing. Diagnosis of the hyperkeratotic form of tinea pedis was established by a positive KOH wet mount and by clinical signs. Dermatophyte culture was performed from a designated target lesion before initiation of treatment. The patients, randomly assigned through a telephone service, were treated by neticonazole 1% cream once daily with either simple application (SA) or overnight occlusive dressing (ODT). Clinical improvements in the five clinical signs: pruritus, erythema, hyperkeratosis, fissure, and scale were assessed by the following criteria: marked improvement, moderate improvement, slight improvement, no change, and worsening. The mycologic response (KOH) and improvement of clinical signs of the two groups were evaluated 2 and 4 weeks after commencing treatment.