Ketoconazole 2% more effective in treating Seborrheic Dermatitis

The Department of Dermatopathology in a University Medical Center in Belgium conducted an open randomized study of 330 subjects suffering from severe seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff, to study the effectiveness of Ketoconazole 2% and Zinc pyrithione 1% shampoo. One hundred and seventy one patients were randomized to ketoconazole 2% shampoo and 160 to zinc pyrithione 1% shampoo.

The researchers found that ketoconazole 2% achieved a significantly better effect with a 73% improvement in the total dandruff severity score compared with 67% for zinc pyrithione 1% at week four. They also found that the recurrence rate of the disease was significantly lower in the group receiving ketoconazole than in the group receiving zinc pyrithione.

Researchers therefore concluded that Ketoconazole 2% shampoo is significantly better in treating severe dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp than is zinc pyrithione 1% shampoo.