Corticosteroids are often used to treat autoimmune and inflammatory neurological conditions. These authors retrospectively examined the prevalence of corticosteroid (CS) use in patients who received diagnoses of autoimmune or inflammatory neuromuscular diseases at a tertiary care center. They assessed the rates of adverse effects associated with CS use, rates of screening and prophylaxis for adverse effects, and the possible association of demographic and treatment variables with adverse effects.
Of 512 patients, 209 (41%) received CS therapy. The most commonly treated disorders were myasthenia gravis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and inflammatory myopathies. Mean patient age was 62.1. The average dose of CS (of various…