Is Vicks VapoRub an adequate alternative treatment for onychomycosis?

Relevance: Participants were recruited from an outpatient family medicine clinic at an air force base including men and women older than 18 years of age with clinical onychomycosis on at least 1 great toenail. People with allergy to Vicks VapoRub or its ingredients, use of any oral antidermatophyte medication, any deformity of the affected nail, or any reason preventing adequate photographic assessment of the nail were excluded. Vick’s VapoRub was topically rubbed onto the affected toe nails. The primary outcome measured was mycological cure at 48 weeks defined as a negative KOH and culture and clinical cure measured subjectively and objectively.