Treatment of bacterial vaginosis with a three day course of 2% clindamycin vaginal cream: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 3 day course of 2% clindamycin cream in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. DESIGN A prospective, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study. SETTING Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal Liverpool University Hospital. SUBJECTS 55 female patients aged 18 years and over, and premenopausal, who spontaneously or after questioning complained of symptoms of bacterial vaginosis. RESULTS 55 patients were enrolled. 44 patients were evaluable at Visit 1 when among the 23 who received clindamycin cream bacterial vaginosis was not present in 22 (95.6%) and only one failed treatment. Of the 21 patients in the placebo group only one (4.8%) patient was cured and 20 (95.2%) were failures. Of the 17 patients evaluable at Visit 2 in the clindamycin group, bacterial vaginosis was not present in 14 (82.4%) and had recurred in three. No serious adverse events were noted in either group. CONCLUSION This pilot study provides encouraging evidence of the efficacy and safety of a 3 day course of 2% clindamycin cream in bacterial vaginosis.