title: Colchicine in the treatment of the inflammatory phase of Graves' ophthalmopathy: a prospective and randomized trial with prednisone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if colchicine is valuable in the treatment of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO), we compared its effect with prednisone in 22 patients during the inflammatory phase of GO.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients, similar in age, sex and smoking habits, were euthyroid for at least 3 months and randomly divided into two groups, one treated with colchicine (1.5 mg/day) and the other treated with prednisone (0.75 mg/kg/day). They were monitored with ophthalmologic assessment (clinical activity score-CAS) and magnetic resonance imaging, using a signal intensity ratio (SIR) of the recti muscles in comparison to the cerebral substantia alba.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amelioration of CAS was seen in 68% of the orbits in both groups. SIR also had a significant reduction after treatment: the initial median of 1.14 in G1 and 1.27 in G2, evolved, after treatment, to 1.07 in G1 and 0.69 in G2. The variation between both groups after treatment was not significant (p=0.22). None of the patients treated with colchicine had side effects; on the other hand, side effects in G2 were weight gain, edema, gastric complaints, hirsutism, weakness, depression, and alterations in blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Colchicine had a beneficial effect on the inflammatory phase of GO without the side effects of prednisone.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Alameda Jaú, 310/91 São Paulo, SP, Brazil CEP 01420-000. franstamato@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Francisco José da Cunha
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Stamato
authors.forename: Rui Monterio de Barros
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.forename: Paulo Gois
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Manso
authors.forename: Angela Maria Borri
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wolosker
authors.forename: Elias Rodrigues de
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Reinaldo Perrone
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Furlanetto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003078:Colchicine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011241:Prednisone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003078:Colchicine; D011241:Prednisone