Journal of

Background and Aim: Dermatophytoses are the infections caused by the fungi that are capable to invade and multiply within keratinized tissues such as the skin, hair and nails. Topical azoles are considered the first-line treatment in dermatophytosis, but systemic therapy may also be required in some cases. Fungal skin infections have become more common in recent years, and injudicious use of conventional drugs has led to emergence of resistant species. This study compared the therapeutic effects of topical colloidal silver with topical clotrimazole in the treatment of  tinea capitis and tinea corporis.

Methods: In this double blind, non-randomized clinical trial, 40 patients with tinea capitis and tinea corporis were allocated into two groups, receiving either topical colloidal silver or topical clotrimazole, twice daily for at least 4 weeks. Systemic antifungals were also administreerd if needed. The response to treatment (negative KOH smear and resolved symptoms) was compared between the two groups at the end of the treatment period.

Results: The mean response time was 5.26±1.56 (range: 3-8)  weeks in colloidal silver receivers and 5.00±2.20 (range: 3-12) weeks in the clotrimazole group (P=0.67).  The response rates were 84.2% in the topical colloidal silver group, and 90.0% in the topical clotrimazole group (P=0.66). None of the patients experienced a side effect.

Conclusion: Topical colloidal silver may be as effective and safe as topical clotrimazole in patients with tinea capitis and tinea corporis. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended.

Background and Aim: Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis (SD) are common chronic skin diseases. There are many chemical drugs for treating dandruff and SD. Prolonged use of them may cause side effects and drug resistance. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a herbal extract lotion with clotrimazole 1% lotion in the treatment of SD.

Methods: Twenty volunteers (12 men and 8 women) aged 20 to 40 years, with seborrheic dermatitis were enrolled in this trial and were randomly allocated into two groups. One group was treated with a herbal extract lotion and the other group with clotrimazole lotion. The herbal extract contained common sage, thyme vulgaris, tea tree oil, lavender, willow, rosemary, and aloe vera. The patients were instructed to use the lotions three times a week for 4 weeks. We evaluated the patients by clinical assessment and measured the scalp sebum, pH, and dandruff number before two weeks, and four weeks after completed a treatment. At the end of the study, each participant satisfaction form.

Results: At the end of the study, the participants whom received the herbal extract lotion had a significantly greater reduction in scalp scaling, erythema, itching, and number of dandruff compared with those who received clotrimazole (P<0.05). The patient satisfaction score was also higher in the herbal extract group (60% versus 10%).

Conclusion: This study showed that herbal extracts lotion was effective in the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitiand can be an appropriate alternative to chemical agents.