SynthesisJournal of foot and ankle research2019
The use of urea for the treatment of onychomycosis: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Journal of foot and ankle research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of laser therapy combined with topical antifungal agents for onychomycosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Lasers in medical science · 2022Pooled it
- Combination of Q-switched 1,064 and 532 nm Nd: YAG laser in the treatment of toenail onychomycosis: a pilot study.Lasers in medical science · 2025Trial
- Assessing the Therapeutic Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy, Fractional COJournal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Trial
- A randomised comparative study of 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser and Urea occlusion therapy with topical miconazole for the treatment of onychomycosis.Lasers in medical science · 2025Trial
- Urea versus fractional Er:YAG laser pretreatment of methylene blue photodynamic therapy in the treatment of moderate toenail onychomycosis: short- and medium-term effects.Archives of dermatological research · 2023Trial
- Extraction-free analysis in cosmetics by digital image colorimetry, illustrated by the quantification of urea.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Novel Henna-Related Naphthazarine Photosensitizers for an Effective Photodynamic Therapy of Onychomycosis.ACS pharmacology & translational science · 2023Article
- Urea in Dermatology: A Review of its Emollient, Moisturizing, Keratolytic, Skin Barrier Enhancing and Antimicrobial Properties.Dermatology and therapy · 2021Review
- Clinical Evaluation of a Topical Formulation for the Management of Onychomycosis.The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology · 2020Article
- Onychomycosis: An Updated Review.Recent patents on inflammation & allergy drug discovery · 2020Review
- Nail Society of India (NSI) Recommendations for Pharmacologic Therapy of Onychomycosis.Indian dermatology online journalReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOnychomycosis, a fungal infection affecting the nail plate, is a common condition often requiring prolonged treatment regimens, with low success rates. Urea is one treatment option, which is thought to improve the efficacy of topical and oral antifungal agents. Despite a theoretical basis for the use of urea for the treatment of onychomycosis, the evidence-base for this treatment has not been systematically reviewed.
aimThe purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review to determine the efficacy and safety of urea as a monotherapy and as adjunct therapy, compared to other treatment regimens for onychomycosis.
methodA systematic literature search of ten electronic databases was conducted. Only studies that used microscopy and culture or other validated laboratory-based testing method to confirm the presence of a fungal infection before treatment were included. The outcome measures assessed were efficacy (defined in terms of mycological, clinical and complete cure) and safety (defined as self-reported adverse events).
resultsThe systematic search yielded 560 unique studies for review. Of these, only six were eligible for inclusion. All studies were observed to have methodological concerns, most studies consisted of small sample sizes and were difficult to compare given heterogeneity in outcome measures and follow-up time. Despite this, a trend was observed to suggest that urea, when added to topical or oral antifungal treatment regimens, improved efficacy of the treatment.
conclusionThis review suggests that topical urea, as an adjunct to topical and oral antifungal treatment regimens, may improve the efficacy of treatment. However, further research is needed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.