Drugs for treating paracoccidioidomycosis

Not enough good quality trials to assess the most effective drug treatment for paracoccidioidomycosis

Valfredo da Mota Menezes1,*, Bernardo GO Soares2, Cor Jesus Fernandes Fontes3

Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Cuiabá MT, Brazil
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazilian Cochrane Centre, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

da Mota Menezes V, Soares BGO, Fontes CJF. Drugs for treating paracoccidioidomycosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD004967.

To read the full review please follow this link: DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004967.pub2.

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection that causes ulcers, swelling, fever, and pain. If it also gets into the lungs, it can produce coughing, shortage of breath, chest pain, weight loss, and sometimes death. Without treatment, those suffering this disease may die in a few months or years. There are endemic areas between Mexico and southern Argentina. Drug treatments need to go on for many months and maybe years. There are various drugs that are used, but this review found only two small trials with too few data to say which drug was best, and the drugs all seem to have adverse effects. More research is needed.