Which antifungal is known to be effective against dermatophytes?

Terbinafine is recognized as an effective antifungal agent against dermatophytes, which are a group of fungi that primarily cause infections in the skin, hair, and nails. Terbinafine works by inhibiting the enzyme squalene epoxidase in the fungal cell membrane synthesis, leading to a depletion of ergosterol, which is essential for fungal cell membrane integrity. This mechanism is particularly effective for dermatophyte infections such as tinea pedis (athlete's foot), tinea cruris (jock itch), and tinea capitis (scalp infections).

In contrast, while fluconazole and voriconazole are broad-spectrum antifungals that can treat various fungal infections, they are primarily effective against systemic fungal infections and have less efficacy against dermatophytes. Caspofungin, which belongs to the echinocandin class, is primarily used to treat invasive fungal infections caused by Candida and Aspergillus species, rather than dermatophyte infections. Therefore, terbinafine stands out as the preferred choice for specifically treating infections caused by dermatophytes.