A topic in Clinical Evidence 2 summarizes the results of 5 RCTs. All found improvements in symptoms with ketokonazole 2% compared with placebo after 4 weeks.
One of the RCTs was a multicentre study including 575 patients presenting with moderate to severe seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff of the scalp. The patients were treated with 2% ketoconazole shampoo twice weekly for 2 - 4 weeks, producing an excellent response in 88% 1. Of those patients who responded, 312 were included in a prophylactic phase, lasting 6 months. These patients were treated with the active preparation (shampoo containing 2% ketoconazole) once-weekly, once every other week, alternating with placebo (shampoo without ketoconazole), or with placebo only once weekly. Fortyeight (47%) patients in the placebo group experienced a relapse of seborrhoeic dermatitis, compared with 23 (19%) patients in the active treatment group, and 31 (31%) patients in the active/placebo group.
Primary/Secondary Keywords