Moderate acne vulgaris: Efficacy, safety and compliance of a systemic treatment with azithromycin for 12 weeks [Acne giovanile di grado moderato: Efficacia, tollerabilità e compliance di un trattamento di 12 settimane con azitromicina sistemica]

Aim: To study the efficacy, safety and compliance of 500 mg azithromycin thrice weekly for 12 weeks in moderate acne vulgaris Methods: An open-label, noncomparative study was carried out for 12 weeks at Department of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery of "La Sapienza" University in Rome. 57 patients (20 men, 37 women) between 13 and 41 years of age, affected by moderate papulo-pustular and nodular acne vulgaris, were enrolled in the study. Azithromycin 500 mg was used orally thrice weekly for 12 weeks. Patients were examined at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks (end of treatment), evaluating the clinical improvement (Global Acne Grading System- GAGS) and measuring the psychological effects of acne (Acne Quality of Life Questionnaire- AQoL). Results: 46 patients completed the study and showed significant improvement. Side effects were recorded in 8 patients and 6 of them interrupted treatment. Other 5 patients dropped the study for unknown reasons. Conclusion: Azithromycin, 500 mg thrice weekly for 12 weeks, is a safe and effective treatment of acne vulgaris with excellent patient compliance. © Copyright 2005, CIC Edizioni Internazionali.