A comparison of the effectiveness of topical tetracycline, benzoyl-peroxide gel and oral oxytetracycline in the treatment of acne.

A proprietary topical tetracycline preparation (Topicycline) was compared with an alcohol-based 5% benzoyl-peroxide gel and with oral oxytetracycline (250 mg twice daily) using a randomized group-comparative double-blind study in 69 patients with mild to moderate acne. Facial acne grades improved significantly in all three treatment groups over the 12-week study period but chest acne grades did not change significantly and only oxytetracycline produced a significant improvement in back grade. All three treatment groups produced a significant reduction in facial inflamed and non-inflamed lesions apart from oxytetracycline which failed to produce a significant reduction in inflamed lesions. However, there were no overall significant differences between the three treatment groups either in improvement of acne grade or in reduction of inflamed and non-inflamed lesions. We conclude that topical tetracycline is as effective as either 5% benzoyl-peroxide gel or 250 mg oxytetracycline twice daily in the treatment of mild to moderate acne.