A 26-year-old sexually active man has a two-week history of mucopurulent discharge with large follicles in both eyes. Conjunctival scraping shows intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies on Giemsa stain, confirming chlamydial inclusion conjunctivitis. As per standard Indian textbook practice, the recommended systemic therapy is:
- A Doxycycline 100 mg twice daily orally for three weeks, with treatment of the sexual partner ✓
- B Topical ciprofloxacin drops four times daily for two weeks
- C Intramuscular ceftriaxone 1 g as a single dose
- D Oral acyclovir 400 mg five times daily for seven days
Correct answer: A. Doxycycline 100 mg twice daily orally for three weeks, with treatment of the sexual partner
Explanation
Adult chlamydial conjunctivitis requires systemic therapy because topical agents alone do not eradicate the organism from the genital reservoir. Standard Indian texts recommend doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for about three weeks, with simultaneous treatment of the sexual partner to prevent reinfection; a single-dose azithromycin regimen is an accepted alternative. Ceftriaxone treats gonococcus, and acyclovir treats herpes virus, so neither addresses chlamydia.
Reference: Khurana, Comprehensive Ophthalmology, 7th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.