Azithromycin compared with minocycline in the treatment of acne comedonicaand papulo-pustulosa

This open study was conducted in 72 outpatients with acne vulgaris, to comp are the clinical efficacy and tolerability of azithromycin and minocycline. Azithromycin was administered as a single oral dose (500 mg/day) for 4 day s in four cycles every 10 days and minocycline was administered 100 mg dail y for 6 weeks. improvement was assessed 6 weeks after initiation of treatme nt with a four-graded scale. A satisfactory clinical response was observed in 75.8% of the patients treated with azithromycin and in 70.5% of those tr eated with minocycline. There were no significant differences between these two acne treatments in terms of reduction of the number of lesions (p > 0. 05). Both agents were well tolerated and mild side effects were reported in 10.3% of azithromycin and 11.7% of minocycline treated patients. We conclu de that azithromycin is at least as clinically effective and well tolerated as minocycline as treatment of facial comedonic and papulopustular acne.