Out-patient Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

The efficacy of corticosteroids in the treatment of ulcerative colitis has been established (Truelove and Witts, 1955), but the optimum dose has been less thoroughly studied. In a comparative trial of different methods of treatment Truelove (1960) reported a remission rate of 35% in out-patients using prednisolone 20 mg. daily, and Watkinson (1961a, 1961b) observed remission in 12 out of 36 patients given the same dose of prednisone. However, using a larger dose of prednisone in two outpatient trials, a remission rate of 650% was obtained at this clinic (Lennard-Jones, Longmore, Newell, Wilson, and Avery Jones, 1-960). The present study was therefore undertaken to compare the results of using 60, 40, and 20 mg. of prednisone daily as treatment for active ulcerative colitis.