Randomized comparative clinical trial of artemisia sieberi 5% lotion and clotrimazole 1% lotion for the treatment of pityriasis versicolor

• Main Authors: Rad Farrokh, Aala Farzad, Reshadmanesh Naser, Yaghmaie Roksana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2008-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Dermatology
• Subjects: Artemisia sieberi lotion; clotrimazole lotion; pityriasis versicolor; recurrence rate
• Online Access: http://www.e-ijd.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5154;year=2008;volume=53;issue=3;spage=115;epage=118;aulast=Rad

<b>Aims:</b> To compare the therapeutic effects of topical Artremisia sieberi 5&#x0025; lotion with topical clotrimazole 1&#x0025; lotion in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor. <b> Materials and Methods:</b> 100 patients with pityriasis versicolor and microscopic identification of Malassezia furfur were randomly assigned to treatment with either topical Artemisia sieberi 5&#x0025; lotion (group 1) or topical clotrimazole 1&#x0025; lotion (group 2) for 2 weeks. Group 1 and group 2 consisted of 51 and 49 patients respectively. The patients were evaluated both clinically and mycologically at baseline and every 2 weeks for a period of 4 weeks. <b> Results: </b> At the end of the second week, clinical cure rates were 86.3&#x0025; and 65.3&#x0025; for group 1 and group 2 respectively (<i> P</i> &#60; 0.01), but at the same time mycological cure rate was 92.2&#x0025; for group 1 and 73.5&#x0025; for group 2 (<i> P</i> &#60; 0.05). At the end of the fourth week, clinical cure rates were 86.3&#x0025; and 59.2&#x0025; for group 1 and group 2 respectively (<i> P</i> &#60; 0.01), and at the same time mycologic cure rate was 96.1&#x0025; for group 1 and 65.3&#x0025; for group 2 (<i> P</i> &#60; 0.01). <b> Conclusions:</b> The results of this study demonstrated that Artemisia sieberi 5&#x0025; lotion was more effective than clotrimazole 1&#x0025; lotion in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor.