Objective: To compare treatment outcomes, symptom improvement, and recurrence between terbinafine and griseofulvin in dermatophyte tinea capitis.
Methods: A controlled clinical trial included 40 patients assigned by sealed-envelope drawing to terbinafine (n = 19) or griseofulvin (n = 21). Outcomes were assessed at 4 and 8 weeks using clinical cure and negative KOH microscopy; recurrence was monitored for 4 weeks after treatment. Available records did not provide enough detail to fully verify sequence generation, allocation concealment, or blinding.
Results: At week 4, complete cure was observed in 68.4% of the terbinafine group and 28.6% of the griseofulvin group (p = 0.014); negative KOH microscopy occurred in 68.4% and 28.6%, respectively (p = 0.012). Among patients not cured at week 4 who continued treatment, 6/6 in the terbinafine group and 15/15 in the griseofulvin group achieved cure at week 8. No recurrence was observed during the 4-week post-treatment follow-up.
Conclusion: In this small sample, terbinafine produced a higher early response than griseofulvin. Week-8 findings showed very good responses in both groups during the observed period, but they do not establish long-term equivalence or species-specific superiority because no stratified analysis was available and recurrence follow-up lasted only 4 weeks.