Comparison of Efficacy of Oral Azithromycin Pulse versus Doxycycline Daily in Treatment of Moderate Acne Vulgaris

Background: Acne is a very common skin disease in our setup. Azithromycin is a new treatment while Doxycycline has been routinely used for this disorder. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of azithromycin oral pulse versus doxycycline daily in treating acne vulgaris. Methods: A randomized control trail with 304 patients of moderate acne vulgaris were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: Group-A (n=152) received azithromycin, 500 mg daily for 3 days in 10 days' cycle with 7 days free of drug, for 3 months, while Group B (n=152) received doxycycline 100 mg daily for 3 months. They were followed at monthly intervals. Difference between numbers of lesions before and after treatment was calculated. Outcome was analysed as healing of acne lesions in terms of percentages as: Excellent (> 80%), Good (51-80%), Poor (31-50%) and No response (< 30%) at the end of 3 months. Results: In group-A, 35(23.0%) patients had excellent outcome, 37(24.3%) had good, 33(21.7%) had poor and 47(31%) had no response. In group-B, 74(48.7%) patients had excellent response, 42(27.6%) had good, 34(22.4%) had poor and 2(1.3%) had no response with a p-value 0.000001, which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Doxycycline is more effective oral treatment for acne vulgaris.