Single dose oral azithromycin versus seven day doxycycline in the treatment of non-gonococcal mucopurulent endocervicitis

The aim of this study was to compare single dose oral azithromycin versus s even-day doxycycline in the treatment of non-gonococcal mucopurulent cervic itis (MPC). One hundred and thirty-one women with non-gonococcal MPC were e nrolled in a prospective-randomised study to compare the efficacy and safet y of a single oral dose of Ig azithromycin and a seven-day course of 100 mg doxycycline twice daily. Clinical examination and culture samples for Chla mydia trachomatis and other microorganisms were performed before and approx imately 14 days after starting the treatment. Of the 131 women recruited (67 in the azithromycin group and 64 in the doxy cycline group), Ureaplasma urealyticum was isolated from 21 (16%); Chlamydi a trachomatis from 15 (11.5%); and Mycoplasma hominis from 3 (2.3%) of the patients at the initial examination. The eradication rate of baseline cultu re-positive cases at the follow-up visit in the azithromycin group was 71.4 %, and 77.3% in the doxycycline group. There was no statistically significa nt difference in efficacy between the single dose azithromycin and seven-da y course of doxycycline in the treatment of culture-positive cases. Azithro mycin 1 g appears to be an effective and safe alternative to doxycycline fo r the treatment of nongonococcal MPC.