Efficacy of combined treatment with Ketoconazole 2% Cream and Adapalene 0.1% Gel vs. Ketoconazole 2% Cream monotherapy in Pityriasis Versicolor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51985/Abstract
Objective: To compare the efficacy of combined treatment with Ketoconazole 2% Cream and Adapalene 0.1% Gel versus Ketoconazole 2% Cream monotherapy in Pityriasis Versicolor.
Study design and Setting: Randomized Controlled Trial conducted at Dermatology Department of PNS Shifa, Karachi from 19th July 2024 to 30th July 2025.
Methods: A randomized trial included 176 patients with Pityriasis Versicolor (88 per group). Group A received ketoconazole 2% cream twice daily plus Adapalene 0.1% gel nightly for 4 weeks, and Group B received ketoconazole alone. Efficacy at week 4 was defined by clinical improvement, negative Wood’s lamp, and KOH microscopy. Data were analyzed in SPSS v26 using chi-square test; Means and standard deviations were calculated for continuous variables (age, BMI, disease duration), while frequencies and percentages were reported for categorical variables (gender, efficacy). The chi-square test was used to compare efficacy between groups, p<0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The mean age in Group A was 25.1 ± 4.0 years and in Group B was 25.8 ± 4.2 years. The majority of patients were male, and the distribution of types of pigmentation was comparable in both groups. The efficacy of combination therapy (Group A) was 89.8%, compared to 43.2% with monotherapy (Group B), demonstrating a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Combination therapy with ketoconazole and adapalene was significantly more effective than ketoconazole monotherapy in the treatment of Pityriasis Versicolor
Keywords: Adapalene, Combination treatment, Efficacy, Ketoconazole
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