Clinical Study
Eye advance online publication 6 November 2009; doi: 10.1038/eye.2009.264
Effect of oral azithromycin in the treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Y-M Chen1,2, F-R Hu1 and Y-C Hou1
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2Department of Ophthalmology, E-Da Hospital, I- Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Correspondence: Y-C Hou, Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan 100, Taiwan. Tel: +886 2 2312 3456 ext. 5205; Fax: +886 2 2393 4420; E-mail: ychou51@ntu.edu.tw
Received 12 December 2008; Revised 30 September 2009; Accepted 30 September 2009; Published online 6 November 2009.
Abstract
Purpose
To assess the efficacy of oral azithromycin in the treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis.
Methods
We performed a retrospective study in patients with clinically suspected chlamydial conjunctivitis who underwent conjunctival swab sampling for Chlamydia direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) tests between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2006. Patients with positive DFA results were orally administered azithromycin once a week for 2 consecutive weeks. If DFA examinations still showed positive results after 4 weeks, additional azithromycin was orally administered once. The DFA tests were repeated 4 weeks later, and this was continued until the DFA tests showed negative results.
Results
Among the 67 suspected patients, 45 (67.2%) showed positive results from the DFA tests, of whom 42 received treatment. After the first 2 weeks, only 27 patients returned to the clinic and completed the treatment. The test results of 19 (70.4%) patients became negative after the treatment with two weekly doses of oral azithromycin. Among the remaining eight patients, four (14.8%) needed an additional dose of oral azithromycin, and the other four (14.8%) required two additional doses. All 27 patients tolerated the treatment well, with an adverse event of mild gastritis in only one patient.
Conclusions
Two weekly doses of oral azithromycin were effective and well tolerated in the treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis. However, more than one course of treatment was necessary in some patients.
Keywords:
azithromycin, chlamydial conjunctivitis, chlamydia trachomatis
