Itraconazole in the treatment of human mycoses: Review of three years of clinical experience

During the first three years of clinical investigation of itraconazole, more than 1,000 patients with mycoses were treated with the drug. Almost 50% were women with vaginal candidosis; a dosage of 200 mg per day for three days appeared to be optimal for their treatment. Several treatment regimens were tested for pityriasis versicolor; the minimum total dose necessary for optimal results was 1 g. A randomized comparison of 50-mg and 100-mg daily doses for the treatment of skin mycoses indicated that the optimal dosage is 100 mg. The results of short courses of treatment for superficial dermatophytoses suggest that such regimens may be effective, and the results of an ongoing double-blind comparison of itraconazole and griseofulvin suggest that itraconazole is superior in these infections. The outcome of treatment of systemic mycoses with itraconazole, especially sporotrichosis, chromomycosis, and aspergillosis, indicates that itraconazole may be useful in therapy for life-threatening fungal infections when standard therapy has failed.