Comparison of Corticosteroid and Sulphasalazine Therapy in Ulcerattve Colitis

Abstract

A therapeutic trial has been carried out to determine the relative efficacy of combined oral and topical corticosteroid therapy and sulphasalazine in terms of their ability to terminate swiftly an attack of ulcerative colitis. The experimental design involved the use of the restricted sequential method of Armitage. Patients with a frank attack of ulcerative colitis were allotted at random to treatment either with combined corticosteroids or with sulphasalazine. Fifty-eight patients were treated by combined corticosteroids and 60 by sulphasalazine. The results of treatment were assessed after two weeks. Clinical “ success ” was defined as complete freedom from symptoms, and sigmoidoscopic “ success ” was defined as a definite improvement in the sigmoidoscopic appearances. By both these criteria, combined corticosteroid treatment emerged as superior to sulphasalazine for the limited purpose which this therapeutic trial was designed to test. © 1962, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.