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Treatment of toenail onychomycosis with 2% butenafine and 5% Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil in cream

  1. T. A. Syed1,
  2. Z. A. Qureshi2,
  3. S. M. Ali3,
  4. S Ahmad4,
  5. S. A. Ahmad5

Article first published online: 5 JAN 2002

DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1999.00396.x

Issue

Tropical Medicine & International Health

Tropical Medicine & International Health

Volume 4, Issue 4, pages 284–287, April 1999

Additional Information

How to Cite

Syed, T. A., Qureshi, Z. A., Ali, S. M., Ahmad, S. and Ahmad, S. A. (1999), Treatment of toenail onychomycosis with 2% butenafine and 5% Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil in cream. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 4: 284–287. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-3156.1999.00396.x

Author Information

  1. 1

     Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, USA

  2. 2

     University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

  3. 3

     Shan Hospital, Gulshan Iqbal, Karachi, Pakistan

  4. 4

     Komvux College, Borås, Sweden

  5. 5

     Windsor High School, Windsor, CA, USA

*correspondence Tanweer A. Syed, Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, 90 Medical Center Way, Surge Building 110, Box 0989, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. E-mail: tasyed@itsa.ucsf.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 5 JAN 2002
  2. Article first published online: 5 JAN 2002

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Keywords:

  • onychomycosis;
  • fungal infections;
  • butenafine;
  • tea tree oil;
  • toenails;
  • Melaleuca alternifolia;
  • pharmaceutical creams

Summary The prevalence of onychomycosis, a superficial fungal infection that destroys the entire nail unit, is rising, with no satisfactory cure. The objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to examine the clinical efficacy and tolerability of 2% butenafine hydrochloride and 5%Melaleuca alternifolia oil incorporated in a cream to manage toenail onychomycosis in a cohort. Sixty outpatients (39 m, 21 f) aged 18–80 years (mean 29.6) with 6–36 months duration of disease were randomized to two groups (40 and 20), active and placebo. After 16 weeks, 80% of patients using medicated cream were cured, as opposed to none in the placebo group. Four patients in the active treatment group experienced subjective mild inflammation without discontinuing treatment. During follow-up, no relapse occurred in cured patients and no improvement was seen in medication-resistant and placebo participants.

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