SAFETY OF VORICONAZOLE IN RECALCITRANT DERMATOPHYSES – A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: determine the safety of voriconazole in terms of frequency of reported side effects in patients with recalcitrant dermatophytoses at Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Dermatology, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar on 99 patients using non-probability consecutive sampling. Adults aged 20–70 years of either gender with recalcitrant dermatophytoses diagnosed by operational definition and positive KOH, and already receiving voriconazole, were included, while those on other antifungals, with contraindications to voriconazole, pre-existing visual, hepatic or renal disease, or pregnancy were excluded. Demographic and clinical data were recorded, and adverse events were assessed through history, examination, and laboratory investigations. Safety outcomes included visual disturbances, hypersensitivity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hypokalaemia, thrombocytopenia, and other reported effects, defined using standard clinical and laboratory criteria. Results: The participants had a mean age of 46.1 years (SD 10.5). Males accounted for 55.6% of the sample. Most participants lived in urban areas (58.6%), with 41.4% from rural areas. Socioeconomic status was mostly middle (59.6%), followed by low (28.3%) and high (12.1%). Occupations included self-employed (40.4%), housewives (36.4%), government servants (16.2%), unemployed (4.0%), and students (3.0%). Conclusion: Voriconazole is generally safe and well tolerated in patients with recalcitrant dermatophytoses. Most adverse effects were mild, with visual disturbances and headache occurring most frequently, while serious hepatic, renal, or hematologic complications were uncommon.