Quality assessmentNo of patientsEffectQuality
No of studiesDesignRisk of biasInconsistencyIndirectnessImprecisionOther considerationsVery potent corticosteroidCoal tar polytherapyRelative (95% CI)Absolute
Skin atrophy - Clobetasol propionate OD vs polytar twice weekly (follow-up 4 weeks)
1
Griffiths2006A
randomised trialsvery seriousano serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessno serious imprecisionnone0/121 (0%)0/41 (0%)not poolednot pooled⊕⊕○○
LOW
Withdrawal due to adverse events - Clobetasol propionate OD vs polytar twice weekly (follow-up 4 weeks)
1
Griffiths2006A
randomised trialsvery seriousano serious inconsistencyno serious indirectnessvery seriousbnone1/121 (0.83%)0/41 (0%)RR 1.03 (0.04 to 24.87)-⊕○○○
VERY LOW
a

Unclear allocation concealment and blinding; unclear dropout rates; higher proportion of males in the tar group (65.9% vs 48.8%)

b

Confidence interval crosses the boundary for clinical significance in favour of both treatments, as well as line of no effect

From: 8, Topical therapy

Cover of Psoriasis
Psoriasis: Assessment and Management of Psoriasis.
NICE Clinical Guidelines, No. 153.
National Clinical Guideline Centre (UK).
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