Side-effects of corticosteroid agents.

Anti-inflammatory corticosteroid drugs are powerful therapeutic agents for a wide range of disorders. However, they do have recognized side-effects, most of which are related to the dose and the duration of therapy. Thus, short courses of even high doses of corticosteroid drugs have very few adverse effects. A detailed knowledge of the long-term side-effects of corticosteroid agents and their incidence will assist the physician in making informed judgements on the potential benefits of treatment with these drugs.