AN OVERVIEW OF TOPICAL ANTIBIOTICS FOR ACNE TREATMENT

Topical use of antibiotics is currently a widely accepted effective an d safe treatment for acne. A review of the articles published in the p ast 30 years revealed that topical application of antibiotics such as erythromycin, clindamycin or tetracycline showed clinical effectivenes s for mild to moderate inflammatory acne, especially when they are com bined with zinc, tretinoin or benzoyl peroxide, while they showed litt le influence on noninflammatory acne. The main mechanism of action of topical antibiotics for acne treatment is inhibition of inflammation c aused by bacteria rather than a direct bactericidal effect. The advers e reactions of topical antibiotics are mostly minor and negligible, wh ile special attention should be given to the risk of development of re sistant strains of Propionibacterium acnes. The development of new ant ibiotics is promising and will provide a wider range of therapeutic op tions for refractory cases.