Diagnosis and Management of Infantile Hemangioma

Table 35. Strength of evidence for effectiveness and harms of steroids (continued)
Outcome
Intervention
All Steroids
Study Design
Quality and
Number of Studies
(N Total)
Clinically
important harms
(Cushingoid
facies, growth
retardation, mood
changes
/irritability,
hypertension,
infection)
RCT: 2 good 98,107
1 poor 122 (138)
Cohort: 3 poor 40,96,97
(179)
Study
Limitations
Consistency Directness Precision
Reporting
Bias
Finding
Strength of Evidence Grade
High Consistent Direct Precise Undetected Studies consistently reported these
adverse effects.
Moderate SOE for the association of
steroids with clinically important harms
due to high study limitations.
Case series: 10
poor 109,110,112,113,115-
117,120,129,133
(2974)
BCI = bayesian credible interval; IH = infantile hemangioma; n = number; NA = not applicable; RCT = randomized, controlled trial; SOE = strength of evidence
83