Pharmacologic review: a review of the literature of ketoconazole therapy in the treatment of tinea pedis and onychomycosis.

Ketoconazole, an imidazole derivative, is the first encouraging new oral antimycotic in 20 years. Ketoconazole currently lacks Food and Drug Administration approval for treatment of dermatophytosis; however, it has demonstrated usefulness against a variety of fungal diseases, including tinea pedis, when griseofulvin has failed. The authors provide the reader with data from several studies on the medicinal therapy for dermatomycosis and onychomycosis, particularly where ketoconazole was utilized. Several studies utilizing other treatment modalities are also cited.