One Week of Oral Terbinafine Is Effective for Tinea Cruris/Corporis

The only oral antifungal agent approved in the U.S. for use in the treatment of dermatophyte infections is griseofulvin. Oral fluconazole has been approved for treatment of mucosal candidiasis, and itraconazole, ketoconazole, and fluconazole are being prescribed for superficial cutaneous fungal infections. Oral terbinafine, while available in much of the world, has not been released in this country; only the topical cream is available. A two-week course of oral terbinafine has previously been reported to be effective in the treatment of cutaneous dermatophytoses.

In a study from Egypt, short-term oral terbinafine therapy was evaluated in 22 patients with tinea cruris and tinea corporis. Patients were given 250 mg per day for only one week. T…