ATC code: D01AE15
There are some studies with analyses of sex differences in effect of terbinafine cream but the results are contradictory and the clinical relevance is unclear.
No difference between men and women has been shown for transdermal absorption in general [1].
A retrospective study of oral treatment in patients with toenail onychomycosis (58 men, 59 women) showed better outcome measures of terbinafine 250 mg daily than itraconazole 400 mg daily in women. In men, the outcome of the two treatments was similar [2].
A small study of patients with mild or moderate papulopustular rosacea (7 men, 25 women) showed that 8 weeks treatment with topical metronidazole or terbinafine yielded similar effect in men and women [3].
No studies with a clinically relevant sex analysis regarding adverse effects of terbinafine have been found.
Regarding teratogenic aspects, please consult Janusmed Drugs and Birth Defects (in Swedish, Janusmed fosterpåverkan).
There is a lack of consensus regarding the epidemiology of onychomycosis, some studies show a higher prevalence in men [4,5]. and others a higher prevalence in women [6,7]. In a study in persons with Diabetes Mellitus (283 men, 267 women), development of onychomycosis was 3 times more common in men than in women [4].
Updated: 2020-08-28
Date of litterature search: 2017-02-21
Reviewed by: Mia von Euler
Approved by: Karin Schenck-Gustafsson