A topical erythromycin preparation and oral tetracycline for the treatment of perioral dermatitis: a placebo-controlled trial

In a randomized prospective therapeutic study, 33 patients with perioral dermatitis received a topical erythromycin preparation, 35 received oral tetracycline and 31 received placebo. The treatment response was evaluated by papule count Oral tetracycline and the topical erythromycin preparation were superior to placebo in achieving a satisfactory therapeutic response (0 to 10 remaining papules) (P< 0.001) and in reducing the number of papules on several follow-up visits starting on day 20. The topical erythromycin preparation performed similarly to oral tetracycline; it was well tolerated, appeared to be effective and for these reasons represents a valuable alternative to oral tetracycline in treating patients with perioral dermatitis.