Clinical Efficacy of Lemon Grass Oil Cream in the Treatment of Ring Worm

Abstract

A randomized controlled trial was conduct to determine the efficacy of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus, DC) oil cream in the treatment of dermatophytosis at any site of the body except nail and scalp infections in adult Thai patients. Eight-one patients were enrolled in the study in which 38 cases were allocated to receive lemon grass oil cream and 43 cases to receive clotrimazole cream in an identical package for local application at the skin lesions twice a day for 4 weeks. The outcome was measured clinically and microbiologically by KOH preparation and culture before treatment and 2 and 4 weeks during treatment. Twenty-five cases (30.9%) were lost to follow up. Fifty-six cases were treatment completely, 30 cases in the clotrimazole group with a 53.3% cure rate and 26 cases in lemon grass oil group with a 26.9% cure rate. Although the clinical signs and symptom had improved in the later group, they stilled a positive KOH-preparation and / or positive culture. Contact dermatitis from the lemon grass oil cream was found in 1 case but no serious adverse effect was found. The high temperature in Thailand may reduce the concentration of the volatile oil "citral" in lemon grass oil cream which could influence the clinical outcome and lead it to less effective than in a previous in vitro study.