Daily and alternate-day corticosteroid regimens in treatment of giant cell arteritis: comparison in a prospective study.
Alternate-day corticosteroid therapy was compared with two daily corticosteroid regimens for the treatment of giant cell arteritis. In a prospective study 60 patients with this disease were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: group A, 15 mg of prednisone every 8 hours; group B, 45 mg of prednisone every morning; and group C, 90 mgof prednisone every other morning. After 1 month of treatment, the arteritis seemed to be completely suppressed in 18 patients in group A and 16 in group B but in only 6 in group C. In the 14 other patients in group C, the continuing symptoms were cyclic and developed during the day steroids were not given. By changing to a daily regimen, the arteritis was controlled in most patients in group C. Adverse reactions to prednisone were noted frequently in groups A and B but rarely in group C.
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000473:pathology
D011241:Prednisone