Octopirox 1% shampoo versus ketoconazole 2% shampoo in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor: A randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial

Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a fungal infection of the skin that is caused by Malassezia species in tropical and subtropical areas. Various treatments such as ketoconazole 2% shampoo are effective in the treatment of PV. In this study, the therapeutic effects of ketoconazole 2% shampoo and Octopirox 1% shampoo on PV were compared.

Fourty-two patients participated in the study. Twenty-five patients were treated using Octopirox 1% shampoo and 17 patients were treated by ketoconazole 2% shampoo. Each shampoo was administered for 5 minutes after daily showers for three weeks. At the end of the treatment period, patients were evaluated on the basis of the results KOH test and clinical examinations.

At the end of the treatment period in ketoconazole 2% shampoo group, 64.7% of patients were cured. In Octopirox 1% shampoo group, 44% of patients were cured. The detected difference was not statistically significant (P=0.187).

Both shampoos were effective in eliminating the symptoms, but ketoconazole 2% shampoo was more effective in improving the associated hyperpigmentation and erythema than Octopirox 2% shampoo. No side effects were observed in either group.