Table 2 Severe complications of intravenous glucocorticoid therapy in patients with Graves’ orbitopathy

Hepatic complications

Marino et al. [17]

Acute liver failure (7 out of 800 patients, including 3 lethal cases)

3.0–24.0 g

Weissel and Hauff [18]

Acute liver failure (lethal, 1 patient)

15.0 g

Salvi et al. [19]

Acute liver failure (1 patient)

5.5 g

Cardiovascular complications

Owecki et al. [20]

Severe hypertension leading to myocardial infarction (1 patient)

5.0 g

Gursoy et al. [21]

Severe hypertension leading to acute hear failure without myocardial infarction (1 patient)

2.0 g

Lendorf et al. [22]

Myocardial infarction (1 out of 49 patients) Angina pectoris (2 out of 49 patients) Ischemic stroke (lethal, 1 out of 49 patients) Pulmonary embolism (lethal, 1 out of 49 patients)

2.0–5.0 g