Clarithromycin in treatment of early Lyme disease: A pilot study

Abstract

Forty-one patients with erythema migrans were enrolled in an open- labelled pilot study of oral clarithromycin, 500 mg twice daily for 21 days, for the treatment of early Lyme disease. Immediately posttherapy, pretreatment signs and symptoms resolved among 91% of the 33 evaluable patients. At 6 months, all 28 of the evaluable patients were well. Clarithromycin shows promise as an effective agent for the treatment of early Lyme disease and warrants further study.