Comparative efficacy of topical 1% butenafine and 1% clotrimazole in tinea cruris and tinea corporis: a randomized, double-blind trial.

Localized tinea cruris and tinea corporis can be treated by topical imidazoles (clotrimazole) or newer topical agents like butenafine, a benzylamine derivative with fungicidal activity. The therapeutic efficacy of these two agents was compared in this study. Eighty patients, diagnosed clinically to have tinea cruris or localized tinea corporis and confirmed on KOH examination, were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups in a double-blind manner; butenafine once daily for 2 weeks or clotrimazole twice daily for 4 weeks. Follow-up was done at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Clinical assessment score and KOH examination were performed at each visit. Butenafine recipients exhibited higher clinical cure as compared with clotrimazole recipients at the end of 1 week (26.5% vs 2.9%) as well as higher mycological cure (61.7% vs 17.6%). However, this difference was not statistically significant at 4 and 8 weeks of treatment.