Once Weekly Application of Urea 40% and Bifonazole 1% Leads to Earlier Nail Removal in Onychomycosis

Efficacy of topical trichloroacetic acid 100% either alone or combined with topical tioconazole 28% versus systemic itraconazole in the treatment of onychomycosis

BACKGROUND

Treatment of onychomycosis is still challenging and warrants the development of new treatment strategies. Different trials were conducted to increase the penetration and efficacy of topical antifungals aiming at finding an alternative treatment especially when systemic antifungals are contraindicated.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) 100% either alone or combined with topical tioconazole 28% versus itraconazole pulse therapy in the treatment of onychomycosis.

PATIENTS/METHODS

Forty-five patients with onychomycosis were divided into three groups: group (A) treated by topical TCA 100% for 12 sessions, group (B) treated by TCA 100% for 12 sessions combined with topical tioconazole 28% for 18 weeks and group (C) treated by itraconazole (400 mg/day for 1 week/month for 4 months).

RESULTS

TCA 100% combined with topical tioconazole 28% showed the highest therapeutic response; however, the difference between the groups was statistically insignificant. Mycological cure (negative culture) was reported in 66.7% of group B versus 60% of group A and 40% of group C at the 20 week.

CONCLUSIONS

TCA 100% is an effective and safe treatment option for onychomycosis especially when combined with antifungals. This modality is promising in the treatment of onychomycosis especially with the increased resistance to different antifungals.

Post-Traumatic Single-Digit Onychomycosis

Onychomycoses are a group of fungal nail infections commonly classified either according to the pathogenic fungus, to the duration of the disease or to the mode of fungal invasion. Most cases are diagnosed clinically, although there is a general consensus that the pathogen should be identified prior to initiating a treatment. However, this is often difficult as the classical mycologic methods of direct microscopy and culture frequently remain negative. We came across a particular subset of onychomycoses, which posed extreme diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Over a period of 15 years, 44 patients were seen in specialized nail clinics with a single nail dystrophy that was examined and treated in vain by many practitioners and dermatologists prior to their consultation. Of the forty-four cases, thirty-nine patients had a fingernail affected and five had a toenail affected. The nail was almost completely onycholytic, the nail bed visibly keratotic, the proximal nail fold smooth and shiny and slightly swollen. All patients except five brought the results of negative mycologic cultures. Thirty-four patients had received antifungal therapy, mostly topical, as a single nail would not qualify for systemic treatment according to most national and international guidelines. The diagnosis was finally confirmed by histopathology of the nail plate showing an invasive onychomycosis in all cases. After nail avulsion and combined topical and systemic antifungal therapy, thirty-six patients were cured, three were lost from follow-up, and five showed improved nails but not a complete clinical and mycologic cure. A single-digit nail disease raises the suspicion of a tumor or a trauma; although, in rare cases, diseases normally affecting several nails may only affect a single nail. Such a case should prompt the clinician to ask for a previous trauma to this digit and to intensify the search for a specific pathogen. This study also underlines the importance of histopathology for the diagnosis of onychomycoses.

Case report: Novel use of the conventional method- chemical nail avulsion may be effective for treatment of green nail syndrome

Green nail syndrome (GNS) is a triad of green discoloration of the nail plate, proximal paronychia, and distal onycholysis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known to be the most common causative agent; however, there is no unified standard for the diagnosis and treatment of GNS. Thus, treatment is challenging and often refractory. Here, we report three representative cases with different predisposing factors, including trauma-related, occupation-related, and onychosis-related GNS. Patients with GNS accompanied by onycholysis were instructed to undergo chemical nail avulsion combined with topical antibiotics, and favorable curative effects were observed in all cases. Chemical nail avulsion with urea powder as a conventional method may be an effective treatment for GNS and warrants clinical generalization.

Cure Rates of Control Interventions in Randomized Trials for Onychomycosis Treatments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The efficacy of antifungals for onychomycosis has been determined in randomized controlled trials (RCTs); interestingly their control arms have demonstrated some therapeutic effects. These controls constitute either placebos (inert pills) or vehicles (all but the antifungal component of the creams). The objective of this research was to determine (i) whether RCT controls exhibited statistically-relevant efficacy rates (i.e. beyond the "placebo effect"), (ii) whether oral and topical controls differed in their efficacies, and (iii) if the efficacy rates of the controls correlated with those of the active comparator associated with that control.

Methods: RCTs of oral and topical monotherapies for dermatophyte toenail onychomycosis were identified through a systematic literature search. For our meta-analyses of cure rates the double arcsine transformation was used. The N-1 chi squared test was used to determine whether the cure rates significantly differed between topical and oral controls. Correlation was investigated using Kendall rank correlation tests.

Results: The pooled mycological, complete, and clinical cure rates of all control interventions (n = 19 trials) were 9%, 1%, and 6%, respectively. The pooled efficacy rates for oral and topical controls were: mycological cure rate, 7% and 12% (p=0.0016); complete cure rate, 1% for both; and clinical cure rate, 4% and 8%, respectively (p=0.0033). For oral RCTs, the respective cure rates of the active therapies were not correlated with controls. However, for topical RCTs, as the mycological and clinical cure rates of the active therapy increased, so did those of the topical vehicle associated with the active therapy in question, and vice versa.

Conclusions: The topical vehicle cure rates were often higher than the oral placebo cure rates, likely due to the presence of non-antifungal chemicals (e.g. moisturizers, urea) with antifungal and debriding properties, which are not present in oral controls.

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Excellent Response of Dermatophytoma and Nail Splitting to Nail Plate Debridement Plus Topical Ciclopirox Olamine 1% Solution

Onychomycosis often presents as thickened, discolored nails. Usually, one or both great toenails are affected. Eventually, the nail plate becomes friable and may split and break up, often due to trauma or invasion of the plate by dermatophytes that have keratolytic properties. Dermatophytoma is a unique feature of onychomycosis that occurred by abundant fungal filaments and spores forming a fungal ball under the nail plate. It is often refractory to traditional therapy. Based on the clinical and mycological examination, a case of onychomycosis in a 45-year-old woman presented as dermatophytoma with longitudinal nail splitting caused by Trichophyton rubrum is presented. The case was successfully treated with nail plate debridement plus topical ciclopirox olamine 1% solution. Nail debridement was performed using a 15-scalpel blade to remove the affected nail portion with the underlying subungual debris to enhance the effect of topical ciclopirox 1% solution which was then applied 3 times daily to the debrided area. Follow-up visits with nail photography were planned every 2 weeks after the procedure to check treatment progress. A complete clinical resolution was achieved after 5 months. This treatment option can be advocated for similar nail conditions avoiding unnecessary and expensive lines of treatment.

Google search trends in onychomycosis: Influences of flip flops and advertising

BACKGROUND

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail, affecting 5.5% of the population. Individuals affected by this disease experience increased anxiety about this disorder and a decreased quality of life. There are multiple available treatments across the globe, leading people to search online for information on the various therapies.

AIMS

To analyze Google search trends of fungal infection and treatment keywords and the influence of different geographical locations, season, regulatory decisions, and advertisements on these trends.

METHODS

In May, 2020 we used Google Trends to determine the relative interest of various fungal infection and treatment keywords worldwide and in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. Notable peaks were investigated for contemporaneous news events.

RESULTS

In general, searches for toenail fungus and associated treatment terms peak during the summer months. Interest in individual treatments peaks when a product is launched, is the subject of an advertising campaign, or becomes more available to the public through approval or reclassification. Yeast infection, thrush, and ringworm terms are consistently searched more often than toenail fungus, jock itch, or foot fungus; all terms are most popular in the summer months, with toenail fungus reaching annual popularity one month prior to jock itch.

DISCUSSION

In general, interest in toenail fungus and treatments is the highest when social anxiety about toenail appearance and the occurrence of fungal infection is the greatest. Curiosity about treatment products increases with their availability and visibility to the public. Combining the power of seasonal interest and advertising generates the greatest search profile for onychomycosis treatments.