Steroid treatment in active Crohn's disease: a comparison between two regimens of different duration.
BACKGROUND
Steroids are highly effective in active Crohn's disease; clinical relapse following steroid withdrawal, however, is frequent. We used two steroid regimens of different duration in order to compare their efficacy in inducing and maintaining clinical remission.


METHODS
Seventy patients with active Crohn's disease were treated with methylprednisolone 40 mg/day i.m. for 3 weeks and then with two different regimens of tapering dosage: one for a further 4 weeks and another for a further 12 weeks.


RESULTS
Steroid therapy induced remission within 3 weeks in 91% of the whole group of patients; at the end of each protocol remission rates were 85% of patients in the group treated for the shorter period and 87% of those treated for the longer period (difference 2%, CI = -14 to 18, P = NS); remission rates within 6 months after stopping steroids were 53% and 37% respectively (difference 16%, CI = -9 to 41, P = NS).


CONCLUSIONS
No significant differences were found between the two regimens. Multiple courses of steroid treatment in the previous 3 years and a short time interval following previous steroid treatment seem to be risk factors for relapse.
Brignola
C
C
Instituto di Clinica Medica e Gastroenterologia, Università di Bologna, Italy.
De Simone
G
G
Belloli
C
C
Iannone
P
P
Belluzzi
A
A
Gionchetti
P
P
Campieri
M
M
Barbara
L
L
D000328:Adult; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors
D008775:Methylprednisolone