Potential hazards of clindamycin in acne therapy

In the course of the last two years, a tremendous amount of controversy has been raised over dangers accompanying the use of the antibiotic clindamycin. The controversy has been stimulated by recent reports of fatalities from pseudomembraneous colitis associated with clindamycin therapy. Varying greatly in degree of severity, the colitis has been reported in as high as 10% of all patients using the drug. The pertinence of such data, however, in a young, healthy acne population receiving small maintenance doses is questionable. Nevertheless, because of these reports, the use of clindamycin in the treatment of many of the conditions for which it was previously considered indicated, including acne, is being seriously reevaluated.