Study of Azithromycin to Prevent Recurrent Trichiasis Following Surgery in Ethiopia
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2006-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Trachoma, an ocular infection caused by C. trachomatis, is the second leading cause of
blindness worldwide.Years of repeated infection with C. trachomatis cause the eyelid to scar
and contract and ultimately to rotate inward such that eyelashes rub against the eyeball and
abrade the cornea (trichiasis). The World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed a
multi-faceted strategy to combat trachoma, which includes surgery to correct trichiasis.
Despite this encouraging news, under the best of circumstances the recurrence rate of
trichiasis following surgery is disappointingly high. The objective of our project is to
conduct a randomized, controlled clinical trial of post-surgical antibiotic treatment,
comparing oral azithromycin to topical tetracycline, for trichiasis surgical patients in
Ethiopia with the goal of determining the impact of treatment on rates of trichiasis
recurrence at one and two years.