Tazarotene as alternative topical treatment for onychomycosis

Figures & data

Table 1 Clinical characteristics of patients

Patient	Sex	Age (years)	Etiological agent	Affected toenails	Duration of cure (weeks)	Affected areas (%)
1	F	40	T. rubrum	Hallux	4	20
2	M	65	T. mentagrophytes	Halluxes	4	30
3	F	25	T. rubrum	Hallux	12	60
4	M	14	T. rubrum	Hallux + second toenail	8	45
5	M	18	T. rubrum	Halluxes	12	65
6	M	40	T. rubrum	Third toenail	4	50
7	F	70	E. floccosum	Halluxes	8	35
8	F	60	T. tonsurans	Hallux	8	35
9	F	70	T. rubrum	Halluxes + second toenail	8	40
10	M	44	T. mentagrophytes	Second toenail	4	30
11	M	22	T. rubrum	Hallux	4	30
12	F	51	T. rubrum	Halluxes	8	35
13	F	55	T. rubrum	Hallux + second and third toenails stoenails	8	30
14	F	23	E. floccosum	Halluxes	8	25
15	M	66	T. rubrum	Hallux	4	30

Abbreviations: F, female; M, male.

Figure 1 Representative clinical images of four patients at baseline and end point (12 weeks, topical tazarotene 0.1% gel therapy).

Notes: At baseline, patient 1 shows a nail involvement of 20%, patient 3 of 60%, patient 4 of 40% and 45% of two involved toenails, and patient 5 of 80%. At the end point, all patients appear clinically cured.

Figure 2 Semiquantitative evaluation of the clinical effect of topical treatment of tazarotene 0.1% gel.

Notes: The clinical effect of topical treatment of tazarotene 0.1% gel on onychomycosis in terms of affected area (A) and percentage of patients (B); (**P<0.001); box plots show the decrease of onycholysis (C), nail bed discoloration (D), and subungual hyperkeratosis as thickening of the subungual region (E) at the end point (12 weeks of topical treatment with tazarotene 0.1% gel); *P<0.04. For (A) and (B) error bars are representative of standard error of mean (SEM); for (C–E) error bars are representative of mean SD.

Figure 3 Patients’ fungal culture test.

Notes: (A) Representative images of T. rubrum culture from patient 1 (left panel); (central and right panels) lactophenol cotton blue solution-stained images. (B and C) Disk diffusion assay of fungistatic activity of tazarotene solution. At 48 hours, the plates incubated at 28°C show an inhibition zone in the treated central area with different volumes of tazarotene solution.