Clindamycin vaginal cream vs oral metronidazole in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.

This study was designed to compare the safety/efficacy of the treatment of 2% clindamycin vaginal cream and oral metronidazole in 184 women with bacterial vaginosis. This was a randomized, prospective, multicenter, double-blind, controlled study. Patients were randomized to either Clindamycin phosphate vaginal cream 2%, 5 gm intravaginally at bedtime, and placebo oral metronidazole capsules taken twice daily, or oral metronidazole capsules, 500 mg, taken twice daily, and placebo clindamycin vaginal cream, 5 gm to be administered intravaginally at bedtime. All treatments were for 7 days. Patients were seen for followup at 4-13 days and 20-43 days after completion of protocol therapy. 2 investigators in Mexico City enrolled a total of 184 patients (91 clindamycin and 93 metronidazole). 1 patient never received drugs after enrollment, leaving 183 valuable for safety. A total of 114 were valuable for efficacy. Protocol regimens were comparable in efficacy (p=0.22) and the percentage of cure/improvement was 87% in the clindamycin group compared to 79% in the metronidazole group. No relapse was observed in the clindamycin group, as opposed to 7% in the metronidazole group. The clindamycin group had a failure of 13% while this was 15% in the metronidazole group. Both treatments were well-tolerated. Most of the events were either vulvovaginal irritation upon application of the study drug, or the development of vaginitis/cervicitis. The 1 event classified as serious in this study (metronidazole group) was generalized rash which, in the opinion of the investigator, was related to the study drug. There were 4 nongenital tract side effects (1 gastrointestinal, 2 dermatologic, and 1 allergy) all in the metronidazole group. The authors can conclude that clindamycin 2% vaginal cream is at least as effective as orally administered metronidazole for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis in nonpregnant women.