Observational evaluation of sertaconazole nitrate cream 2% in the treatment of pruritus related to tinea pedis

Tinea pedis typically presents as a pruritic, erythematous, and scaly eruption on the foot, with symptoms correlated with the severity of infection. Although many clinical studies have assessed the antifungal action of various agents, relatively little attention has been devoted to evaluating if antifungal agents are capable of improving subjective symptoms while treating the infection. A single-center, open-label, observational, proof of concept study was conducted in 21 participants (age range, 16-74 years) to evaluate if sertaconazole nitrate cream 2% used twice daily for 7 days was able to reduce participants' perceived itching while treating the infection. Findings included participants' overall assessment of quality of life (QOL) with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and participants' over-all satisfaction with treatment. The pruritus visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the sub-jective symptom of itching. Results indicated the mean total score of changes in perception of QOL was 8.95 at baseline and 3.38 at day 7, a within-group change of -5.57 (P<.0001), and the mean reduction in reported itching from base-line to day 7 was -63.10% (P<.0001). Fifteen of 21 participants (71.4%) were somewhat or very satisfied with the results of their treatment. The implication of these findings is that successful elimination of the inflammatory symptoms of tinea pedis, such as pruritus, may promote adherence to therapy by directly affecting participants' perception of QOL. Furthermore, early and rapid relief of symptoms, as seen in this study, may encourage patients to continue therapy for the full recommended period of 4 to 6 weeks, thereby reducing the risk for relapse that leads to chronic disease.