Clinical trials of lasers for toenail onychomycosis: The implications of new regulatory guidance.

Background: Despite the fact that lasers are presently indicated for the cosmetic outcome "temporary increase in clear nail", these devices are increasingly used to treat onychomycosis and particularly in patients who are unwilling or unable to take oral antifungal medication. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued draft guidance for medical device trials for onychomycosis.

Objective: This review evaluates the quality of laser trials for onychomycosis and compares the design guidelines for medical devices and antifungal drugs.

Network Meta-Analysis of Onychomycosis Treatments.

Background: Many onychomycosis treatments have not been directly compared in head-to-head clinical trials.

Objective: To determine the relative efficacy of onychomycosis treatments using network meta-analysis (NMA).

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and NMA of mycological cure rates.

The role of biofilms in onychomycosis.

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of nails primarily caused by dermatophyte fungi. Fungi are traditionally understood as existing in the environment as planktonic organisms; however, recent advancements in microbiology suggest that fungi form biofilms-complex sessile microbial communities irreversibly attached to epithelial surfaces by means of an extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix also acts as a protective barrier to the organisms within the biofilm.

A critical appraisal of once-daily topical luliconazole for the treatment of superficial fungal infections.

Luliconazole is a novel imidazole derivative, which has demonstrated in vitro efficacy against dermatophytes and Candida. The results from Phase III trials show that luliconazole 1% cream applied once daily for 2 weeks successfully resolved the clinical signs and symptoms as well as eradicated the pathologic fungi, which cause tinea pedis. A 1-week treatment with luliconazole 1% cream also produced favorable clinical and mycological results in clinical trials for tinea corporis and tinea cruris.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Comorbidities, Substance Use, and Social Outcomes among Men and Women in a Canadian Sample.

Background. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can persist in adolescence and adulthood. Aim.

Sinecatechins 10% ointment: a green tea extract for the treatment of external genital warts.

External genital warts (EGWs) resulting from the human papilloma virus (HPV) are a common sexually transmitted infection and cause significant impairments in patient quality of life and sexual well-being. Therapeutic options for EGWs can be provider-assisted, but many patients opt for treatment that can be applied at home. Sinecatechins 10% ointment is a new botanically based patient-administered therapy for EGWs.

Progression of surgical hair restoration techniques.

Background: Early surgical hair restoration (SHR) techniques were fraught with limitations. Major advancements and refinements have taken place yielding minimally invasive, relatively scar-free, and natural-looking hair transplantations.

Objective: Our aim was to review the origins and advancements of SHR and to discuss future directions for the field.

Potential role of tavaborole for the treatment of onychomycosis.

Systemic antifungal treatments are believed to be more effective than topicals for the treatment of onychomycosis; however, they are associated with more risks of adverse events. Tavaborole is the first member of a new class of antifungals that has been developed as a new topical nail solution for the treatment of toenail onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes. During Phase I-III clinical trials, tavaborole 5.

Drug safety assessment of oral formulations of ketoconazole.

Introduction: Ketoconazole was the first broad-spectrum oral antifungal approved by the FDA in 1981. Post-marketing reports of drug-related hepatotoxicity, endocrine dysregulation and drug interactions resulted in market withdrawal of the drug in some countries and strict product relabeling in others.

Areas Covered: This drug safety review summarizes reports of oral ketoconazole-related adverse events retrieved from a search of the PubMed database using the search strategy 'ketoconazole OR Nizoral AND hepat*', references from relevant publications, and data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.

Network Meta-analysis of Treatments for Chronic Plaque Psoriasis in Canada.

Background: Psoriasis affects approximately 500,000 Canadians. Eight treatments are currently licensed for chronic plaque psoriasis in Canada.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of systemic treatments for chronic plaque psoriasis for the outcome > 75% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) using network meta-analysis.

Surgical hair restoration and the advent of a robotic-assisted extraction device.

The number of surgical hair restorations performed worldwide is ever-increasing. Today's gold standard in surgical hair restoration is follicular unit transplantation (FUT). FUT refers to the transplantation of individual follicular units (FUs) from the donor region to the recipient region.

Topical therapy for toenail onychomycosis: an evidence-based review.

Background: Managing toenail onychomycosis with topical treatments is challenging. It is difficult for topical medication to penetrate the nail plate, and this is reflected in lower cure rates with topical treatment than with oral treatment. However, oral medications may not be suitable for some patients, because of drug interactions; therefore, topical treatments are critical in managing the disease in certain patient populations.

Therapies for onychomycosis a systematic review and network meta-analysis of mycological cure.

New therapies for onychomycosis continue to be developed, yet treatments are seldom directly compared in randomized controlled trials. The objective of this study was to compare the rates of mycological cure for oral and topical onychomycosis treatments using network meta-analysis. A systematic review of the literature on onychomycosis treatments published before March 25, 2013, was performed, and data were analyzed using network meta-analysis.

Tavaborole (AN-2690) for the treatment of onychomycosis of the toenail in adults.

Onychomycosis is a challenging nail disease that is difficult to treat due to the thickness and impermeability of the nail plate. At present, systemic agents are the first-line of treatment for this type of infection; however, topical treatment is recommended in milder cases (<50% involvement) or when oral treatment is contraindicated. Effective topical treatments capable of penetrating the nail plate and reaching the site of infection continue to be sought.

Basal cell carcinoma.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a relatively common form of cancer with a favorable prognosis when treated early. Although most BCCs are easily treated by surgical methods, these lesions occasionally progress to an advanced state that is no longer conducive to surgery or radiation therapy. Even more rarely, the lesions spread to distant sites.

The use of low-level light therapy in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and female pattern hair loss.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is the most common form of hair loss in men and women. Despite its common occurrence, our understanding of the etiology of AGA and FPHL remains incomplete. As such, traditional therapies demonstrate modest efficacies and new therapies continue to be sought.