Azithromycin in Pityriasis Rosea: A Double-Blind,Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: pityriasis rosea is an inflammatory skin disorder with a known response to erythromycin. considering similarities between erythromycin and azithromycin and lesser adverse effects of the latter, in a pilot study, we gave azithromycin to seven patients with pityriasis rosea and observed a noticeable improvement. the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of azithromycin in patients with pityriasis rosea. methods: a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed in our clinic. sixty patients over a period of 20 months were alternatively assigned to the treatment group or the placebo group. patients in the treatment group received azithromycin, 250 mg/day, for 14 days. the response was categorized as complete response, partial response, or no response. all patients were followed up for 2 months. results: age at presentation, sex, and average duration of the disease were comparable in both groups. complete response was observed in 19 patients (63.3 %) in the treatment group and two in the placebo group (p<0.0001). conclusion: oral azithromycin is effective in treating patients with pityriasis rosea.