Successful Terbinafine Treatment for a Girl with Kerion Caused by a Microsporum Canis Infection

Abstract

Oral griseofulvin is considered the 'gold standard' therapy for patients with kerion because it can interfere with the synthesis of proteins, cell walls and nucleic acids in growing dermatophytes including Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. Although cure rates of griseofulvin for Microsporum canis infections are significantly better than for terbinafine, the longer therapeutic course of griseofulvin causes poor compliance among infected children. We report a 2-yearold Chinese girl with kerion caused by M canis. She exhibited good clinical responses to 7 weeks of treatment with oral terbinafine (4 mg/kg per day) without any obvious adverse events. During 6 months of follow-up, her scalp lesion cleared completely with new hair regrowth and the laboratory evaluation of hematology and biochemistry study including liver transaminases was normal.