Continuous itraconazole treatment for onychomycosis and dermatomycosis: an overview of safety.

Over the past 10 years, itraconazole has been used to treat more than 34 million patients worldwide. We present a review of the safety of various continuous itraconazole schedules used in the treatment of dermatomycosis and onychomycosis. Data from controlled clinical trials and extensive post-marketing surveillance show that itraconazole has an impressive safety profile at a dose of 50-200 mg/day for 1-4 weeks for dermatomycosis and 200 mg/day for 3 months for onychomycosis. In addition, itraconazole is safe to use in diabetic patients with dermatomycosis or onychomycosis. Short-term, intermittent itraconazole regimens, which may offer additional benefits in terms of safety and cost, have now been introduced.