Objective: Assess the efficacy of topical antifungal agents for seborrheic dermatitis treatment.

Material and Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis of all relevant randomized vehicle-controlled trials of topical antifungal agents for seborrheic dermatitis treatment were searched. The quality of the enrolled studies was measured by criteria from Cochrane Collaboration, followed by data extraction. Two reviewers independently assessed the present study articles. When there was a disagreement between the two reviewers, a consensus was made by the third reviewer. Pooled relative risk (PRR) statistical analysis was used to determine the efficacy of treatment.

Results: One thousand ninety five studies were reviewed and nine studies were included. Four reports studied the efficacy of ketoconazole, two of metronidazole, two of ciclopirox, and one of bifonazole. Ketoconazole was more effective than vehicle [PRR is 5.78 (95% CI, 2.17-15.40)], as was metronidazole [PRR is 1.83 (95% CI: 1.05-3.17)] ciclopirox [PRR is 3.00 (95% CI, 1.86-4.84)], and bifonazole [PRR is 1.86 (95% CI: 0.96-3.59)].

Conclusion: The meta-analysis in the present study showed that the topical antifungal agents that demonstrated strong and moderate evidence of the efficacy for seborrheic dermatitis treatment were ketoconazole and ciclopirox, respectively. They could be used as an alternative treatment for seborrheic dermatitis.

Keywords: Topical antifungal agents, Systematic review, Meta-analysis