Short course ketoconazole therapy in pityriasis versicolor

Treatment regimes for pityriasis versicolor consisting of 5, 15 or 25 days of ketoconazole (200 mg daily) were compared in a blind study. There were no differences in the cure or relapse rates with these treatment regimes. Overall cure rates 6 weeks after therapy ranged from 78% to 90%. Treatment with a daily 200 mg tablet of ketoconazole for 5 days can be used for most cases of pityriasis versicolor with longer periods of oral therapy being reserved for resistant cases. Short course ketoconazole will need to be compared against alternative topical forms of antifungal therapy.