This prospective, double-masked, randomized study was performed in 14 centers throughout Asia (The Philippines and Thailand), Latin America (Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Venezuela), and Europe (Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic). Outpatients with acute mild-to-moderate skin and soft- tissue infectious (cellulitis, impetigo, folliculitis, furunculosis and carbuncles without surgical incision, and skin wound infections from trauma) were randomly assigned to one of the following regimens for a total of 7 to 14 days: (1) clindamycin 150 mg four times daily (QID) (CLIN 150); (2) clindamycin 300 mg twice daily (BID) (CLIN 300); or (3) dicloxacillin 250 mg QID (DICLOX). Patients were assessed clinically and bacteriologically at the end of treatment and 2 to 3 weeks after treatment. Study variables included clinical and bacteriologic outcomes. No statistically significant differences in any of the study variables were noted between the treatment groups either at the end of therapy or at follow-up 2 to 3 weeks later. In addition, no statistically significant differences were noted between the three groups regarding adverse events; two patients in the CLIN 150 group had serious adverse events (cachexia due to malnutrition and allergic dermatitis), but both problems were treated and the patients completed the study. Based on these results, we conclude that the two regimens of oral clindamycin showed rates of clinical and microbiologic efficacy similar to those of the standard regimen of oral dicloxacillin.