Comparison of efficacy of Erythromycin with Doxycyclin in the treatment of moderate to severe Acne Vulgaris

Background and aim: Acne vulgaris is a chronic disease of pilosebaceous units which most commonly affects younger people. There are many different treatment modalities; each affects some mechanisms of acne pathogenesis. Systemic antibiotics are one of the most popular methods of treatment. In this study the efficacy of oral erythromycin was compared with doxycyclin in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris.Materials and Methods: This study was planned and conducted as a double-blind clinical trial. Sixty eight patients with acne were divided into two groups. One group was treated with oral erythromycin with a dose of 1g/day and the other group received oral doxycyclin at a dose of 100 mg/day for 4 months. The clinical improvement was evaluated based on reduction in the number of lesions in each monthly visit. Adverse events were also recorded.Results: Both groups showed considerable improvement in the lesions of face and trunk wih no significant difference. There was also no significant difference between improvement in facial and truncal lesions in the patients treated with erythromycin but facial lesions significantly improved more than trucal ones in patients on doxycyclin.Conclusion: The efficacy of oral erythromycin and doxycyclin was not significantly different in the treatment of acne vulgaris and each of them can be used according to the clinical status of the patients.