WEDNESDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Systemic corticosteroid therapy (SCT) is commonly used to treat infectious mononucleosis, even though its use in such cases has long been controversial, a new study reports.

The University of Rochester Medical Center report appears in the October issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery.

Different studies examining the use of SCT in treating the disease have yielded conflicting results, and the most consistently cited indication for its use has been complications involving severe airway compromise, according the study.

The University of Rochester Medical Center researchers analyzed the records of 206 patients diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis from January 1998 to March 2003. They found that SCT was used in 44.7 percent of the patients, even though only 8 percent qualified for SCT, according to traditional criteria.

"Factors associated with the observed increase in corticosteroid use included a history of repeat visits, inpatient admission and otolaryngology consultation," the study authors wrote.

"Despite consistent and uniform acceptance in the medical literature that SCT in the setting of [infectious mononucleosis] should be reserved for patients with impending airway obstruction, corticosteroids continue to be used on a much broader scale at this tertiary care institution," the authors concluded.

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more about infectious mononucleosis.