Treatments for common superficial fungal infections.

Fungal infection of keratinized tissue is caused by any of the dermatophyte species. The topical allylamines and benzylamines have been especially effective in treating these infections because of their in vitro fungicidal activity and short treatment duration. With the development of new oral azoles and allylamine antifungal agents, there has been a renewed interest in treating superficial skin fungal infections. The use of topical and oral antifungal agents in treating cutaneous fungal infections is examined.