Loading...
The antifungal agent voriconazole is commonly used to treat invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematologic malignancies. Long-term administration has occasionally been associated with bone pain and the radiological appearance of skeletal fluorosis. However, whether the fluoride in voriconazole or similar antifungal drugs contributes to these conditions is uncertain.
To examine this issue, Swiss investigators measured fluoride levels and performed radiological examinations of 43 patients with hematologic malignancies who received voriconazole (20 patients), posaconazole (8), itraconazole (4), or no treatment (11).
Mean fluoride levels were significantly higher among patients in the voriconazole group than in the other groups (157 µg/L vs.…