Oral v topical erythromycin therapies for chlamydial conjunctivitis
P. Patamasucon, P. J. Rettig, K. L. Faust, H. T. Kusmiesz and J. D. Nelson
Results of oral and topical erythromycin therapy in 41 infants under 4
months of age with chlamydial conjunctivitis were evaluated in randomized
clinical trial. After three weeks of treatment, relapse or reinfection of
the eye occurred in four of 19 patients (21%) in the topical therapy group
and in three of 22 patients (13.6%) in the oral therapy group (p less than
.69). In the topical therapy group, chlamydiae were isolated from
nasopharyngeal cultures of eight patients (42%) during or after therapy.
Chlamydiae were eradicated from the nasopharynx of the six colonized
patients treated with oral erythromycin. All relapses responded to a course
of oral erythromycin therapy. We conclude that both modes of therapy are
comparable for treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis, but that oral
therapy has the advantage of eradicating nasopharyngeal colonization.
