JAMA & ARCHIVES
Arch Fam Med
SEARCH
GO TO ADVANCED SEARCH
HOME  PAST ISSUES  TOPIC COLLECTIONS  CME  PHYSICIAN JOBS  CONTACT US  HELP
Institution: CLOCKSS  | My Account | E-mail Alerts | Access Rights | Sign In
  Vol. 7 No. 6, November 1998 TABLE OF CONTENTS
  Archives
 • Online Features
  Clinical Review
 This Article
 •Full text
 •PDF
 •Send to a friend
 • Save in My Folder
 •Save to citation manager
 •Permissions
 Citing Articles
 •Citing articles on HighWire
 •Citing articles on Web of Science (14)
 •Contact me when this article is cited
 Related Content
 •Similar articles in this journal
 Topic Collections
 •Dermatology
 •Nail Diseases
 •Alert me on articles by topic

Onychomycosis

Recognition, Diagnosis, and Management

Rebecca Jaffe, MD

Arch Fam Med. 1998;7:587-592.

About 20% of the US population between the ages of 40 and 60 years have fungal nail disease, or onychomycosis. The incidence of this infection is increasing worldwide. Most cases of onychomycosis in the United States are caused by dermatophytes, but nondermatophyte fungi (molds or yeasts) may also be causative agents. To confirm the diagnosis of onychomycosis, a potassium hydroxide examination should be performed. A culture is necessary to determine the fungal pathogen and to aid in selecting appropriate therapy. Worldwide, fluconazole (not yet approved in the United States for onychomycosis), itraconazole, and oral terbinafine have superseded griseofulvin and ketoconazole as the agents of choice in treating onychomycosis. These newer systemic compounds have higher cure rates and cause fewer side effects than traditional agents. Intermittent dosing with itraconazole (3 or 4 one-week pulses of 200 or 400 mg daily) is the latest advance in the treatment of onychomycosis. This regimen has been found to be at least as safe and effective as short-term continuous therapy, yet more flexible, convenient, and economical.


From the Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa.



THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Treatment of Onychomycosis in Diabetic Patients
Winston and Miller
Clin. Diabetes 2006;24:160-166.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  




HOME | CURRENT ISSUE | PAST ISSUES | TOPIC COLLECTIONS | CME | PHYSICIAN JOBS | HELP
CONDITIONS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT US | SITE MAP
 
© 1998 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

DCSIMG