The Efficacy of Topical Solution of 0.3% Ciprofloxacin in Treatment of Mild to Moderate Acne Vulgaris

Background: Acne vulgaris is a very common disorder affecting virtually every adolescent at some point in time. Topical treatment of acne involves the use of retinoids and antimicrobials. Antimicrobials reduce P. acne population and are effective for treatment of inflammatory lesions. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of topical ciprofloxacin solution and compared it with topical erythromycin solution. Methods: The study was a prospective single-blind clinical trial. One hundred patients with mild to moderate acne were enrolled. The patients were randomly treated with topical application of 0.3% ciprofloxacin or 4% erythromycin solutions. For a six week period, they were visited every two weeks. Acne severity index (ASI) was calculated in each visit and recorded. Results: Ninety-three patients completed the study, 50 patients in the ciprofloxacin and 43 in the erythromycin groups. Irritation was generally mild for both treatments and no discontinuation was reported because of adverse effects. There was no statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups in reduction of comedons or papules but reduction of pustules was greater in ciprofloxacin treatment group after 4 weeks. ASI was reduced in the two groups but in ciprofloxacin treated patients, this reduction was more significant at all follow up visits. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that topical solutions of erythromycin and ciprofloxacin were effective in treating mild to moderate acne vulgaris and both were well-tolerated by the patients. Ciprofloxacin solution produced greater reduction in pustule counts and ASI, during the six week period of twice-daily application. This novel modality may have an important potential role in rotational topical therapy of inflammatory acne lesions.