Comparative Study of The Efficacy and Safety of Topical Antifungal Agents Clotrimazole, Luliconazole, Sertaconazole in The Treatment of Tinea Corporis / Cruris: A Randomized, Comparative, Parallel Group, Open-Label Study

Introduction: Dermatophytosis is the most common type of superficial fungal infection affecting the Indian population and the most commonly occurring clinical type of dermatophytosis include tinea corporis (36-59%) and tinea cruris (12-27%).No clinical trials were comparing Clotrimazole, Luliconazole, and Sertaconazole in the treatment of tinea corporis/cruris.Hence, this study was undertaken to compare the three antifungal drugs. Aims and objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of Clotrimazole, Luliconazole, and Sertaconazole by comparing the mean change in the composite severity score of the target lesion from baseline to 4 weeks with respect to pruritus, erythema, vesicles, desquamation in patients with tinea corporis/cruris Methods: It was a randomized, open-label, parallel arm, comparative study done on 75 patients of tinea visiting skin OPD of a tertiary care hospital.Patients were randomly allocated in the three treatment groups, Clotrimazole 1%, Sertaconazole 2%, and Luliconazole 1% group, and efficacy and safety were assessed at 1, 2, 3, and 4-week follow-up visits.Results: Mean Change in composite severity score(primary endpoint) at 4 weeks was found to be significantly more in the Sertaconazole group as compared to the Luliconazole group and Clotrimazole group.Only one patient in each group developed adverse events, all of them were mild in severity and none of the patients needed treatment discontinuation. Conclusion:Sertaconazole was more efficacious as compared to Luliconazole and Clotrimazole in patients of tinea.