Three-day course of oral azithromycin vs topical oxytetracycline/polymyxinin treatment of active endemic trachoma

Purpose: The aim of this study on endemic trachoma was to carry out a compa rison of azithromycin (3-day course, oral dose of 10 mg/kg per day) with co nventional treatment (topical oxytetracycline/polymyxin ointment; twice a d ay for 2 months) in a rural area near Sanliurfa, Turkey. Methods: Ninety-six subjects with active trachoma were randomly assigned co nventional or azithromycin treatment. Subjects were examined 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after the start of treatment. Clinical findings were recorded for e ach eye. Swabs were taken from upper eyelids 3 and 6 months after the start of treatment for direct fluorescein antibody test. Results: By six-month follow-up, trachoma had resolved clinically in 43 (89 .58%) of the 48 subjects who received azithromycin, compared with 33 (68.75 %) of the 48 who were treated conventionally. Microbiological success rate s (direct fluorescein antibody test negativity) were 83.33% in the azithrom ycin group and 62.50% in the conventional therapy group. Compliance with bo th treatments was good. By 6 months, 14.58% of the subjects in azithromycin group and 33.33% of the subjects in the topical treatment group were reinf ected. There were significant differences in the efficacy of the treatment effects and the re-emergence of disease between the two treatment groups. A zithromycin was well-tolerated. Conclusions: These results indicate that azithromycin may be an effective a lternative for patients with active trachoma. As a systemic treatment, a 3- day course oral dose has important potential for trachoma control. (C) 2000 Japanese Ophthalmological Society.