Cochrane · systematic review · CD005491
Corticosteroids for treating nerve damage in leprosy
Van Veen, NHJ, Nicholls, PG, Smith, WCS, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2016 · Cochrane Library
NeuromuscularAMSTAR 2: not assessed
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
13
current version
GRADE rated
5
No studies
7
Included studies
NR
No studies 7 · 53.8%Ungraded 1 · 7.7%Very low 0 · 0%Low 1 · 7.7%Moderate 4 · 30.8%High 0 · 0%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Corticosteroids compared with placebo for treating nerve damage (< 6 months' duration) in leprosy
Population: people with nerve damage (< 6 months' duration) in leprosy
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Improvement in sensory nerve function at 1 year Defined as a reduction in sensory score by 3 or more points from baseline Corticosteroids vs placebo | RR 1.01 [0.81, 1.27] | 1 study · 75 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision |
Improvement in motor nerve function at 1 year ‐ not reported Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Change in nerve pain and in nerve tenderness at 1 year ‐ not reported Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Limitations in activities of daily living at 1 year ‐ not reported Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Limitations in participation at 1 year ‐ not reported Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Adverse events Assessed as: occurrence of one or more major adverse events requiring withdrawal of treatment Corticosteroids vs placebo | RR 0.83 [0.05, 12.77] | 1 study · 75 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision |
1Small sample size. Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 1 participants | Ungraded |
Corticosteroids compared to placebo for treating nerve damage (6 to 24 months' duration) in leprosy
Population: people with nerve damage (6 to 24 months' duration) in leprosy
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Improvement in sensory nerve function at 1 year Corticosteroids vs placebo | RR 0.97 [0.65, 1.45] | 1 study · 71 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision |
Improvement in motor nerve function at 1 year Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 21 participants | Low Downgraded: imprecision |
Change in nerve pain and in nerve tenderness at 1 year ‐ not reported Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Limitations in activities of daily living at 1 year ‐ not reported Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Limitations in participation at 1 year ‐ not reported Corticosteroids vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Adverse events Assessed as adverse events requiring withdrawal of treatment Corticosteroids vs placebo | RR 1.87 [0.33, 10.64] | 1 study · 92 participants | Moderate Downgraded: imprecision |