Low-voltage direct current as a fungicidal agent for treating onychomycosis

Department

Natural Sciences

Document Type

Article

Publication Source

Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association

Publication Date

2004-01-01

Volume

94

Issue

6

First Page

565

Last Page

572

Abstract

Onychomycosis, most commonly caused by two species of dermatophyte fungi - Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes - is primarily treated with regimens of topical and systemic antifungal medications. This study was undertaken to evaluate in vitro the efficacy of low-voltage direct current as an antifungal agent for treating onychomycosis. Agar plate cultures of T rubrum and T mentagrophytes were subjected to low-voltage direct current electrostimulation, and antifungal effects were observed as zones in the agar around the electrodes lacking fungal growth. Zones devoid of fungal growth were observed for T rubrum and T mentagrophytes around anodes and cathodes in a dose-dependent manner in the current range of 500 μA to 3 mA. Low-voltage direct current electrostimulation has great clinical potential for the treatment of onychomycosis and perhaps other superficial maladies of fungal etiology.

DOI

10.7547/0940565

https://doi.org/10.7547/0940565

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