title: [Critical study of gastroduodenal complications of corticotherapy].
abstract: Contrary to a still widely held belief, there is no explicative or clinical evidence that corticosteroid therapy has undesirable effects on the digestive tract causing, in particular, gastric or duodenal ulcers. From a meta-analysis of all published randomized, double-blind trials comparing corticosteroids with placebos, it appeared that the prevalence of peptic ulcers was 0.4% in the steroid group (n = 3335) and 0.3% in the placebo group (n = 3267), the difference being non-significant. Although a weak cause-effect relationship cannot be definitely excluded, these data demonstrate that it is unnecessary in practice to prescribe preventive anti-ulcer treatments to all patients receiving corticosteroids.
authors.affiliation: Service d'hépato-gastro-entérologie, hôpital Antoine-Béclère, Clamart.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poynard
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones
vernacular_title: Etude critique des complications gastroduodénales de la corticothérapie.