title: Treatment of early syphilis with azithromycin.
abstract: An open, noncomparative study was performed to establish the efficacy of azithromycin in the treatment of early syphilis. Sixteen patients were treated with oral azithromycin: 1g the first day and then 500 mg for the following 8 days. Two patients were excluded from the study, leaving 14 patients for the evaluation of the efficacy. Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) negativity was observed in 3 out of 6 patients treated for primary syphilis after 3 months and in all patients after 6 months. Two of 8 patients treated for manifest or early latent secondary syphilis had VDRL negativity after 3 months and 4 patients after 6 months. This study demonstrates that azithromycin is effective in the treatment of early syphilis. Two patients experienced gastrointestinal side effects which did not require treatment interruption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Clinical Hospital Center, Medical School, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kastelan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cabrijan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simonić
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brajac
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013587:Syphilis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin