High-Dose Intravenous Methylprednisolone Pulse Therapy as Initial Treatment in Cryptogenic Fibrosing Alveolitis

Abstract

Ten patients with fibrosing alveolitis were treated in a simple random design initially with either a high dose of methylprednisolone (5 patients) or a conventional dose of prednisolone (5 patients) followed by a maintenance dose of 30 mg prednisolone daily. The patients were followed for 6 weeks. No significant (p > 0.05) differences were observed between patients with high and low initial dose of glucocorticosteroids, as regards forced vital capacity, transfer factor for carbon monoxide or symptom scores after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment. After 6 weeks the dyspnoea score and the ⁶⁷Ga uptake decreased, on average, by 74 and 85%, respectively, while forced vital capacity and transfer factor increased by 15 and 29%