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. 2020 Jan 20;2020(1):CD011628. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011628.pub2

Thestrup‐Pedersen 1984.

Methods Cross‐over trial
Number of centres not stated
Period of inclusion not stated
Participants Inclusion criteria
  • Age > 17 years


Exclusion criteria
  • Pregnancy

  • Liver insufficiency

  • Uncontrolled cardiovascular disorder

  • Uncontrolled diabetes


Clinical evaluation was performed before and after 4 and after 8 weeks
Baseline data: colchicine 0.5 mg 3 to 4 times per day according to weight vs placebo (n = 27)
  • Median age (range), years: 58 (19 to 80)

  • Male/female: 5/22

  • Proportion of participants with psoriatic lesions elsewhere: 6/27


Withdrawal: 1 dropout (reason not mentioned)
Interventions Intervention 1
A: colchicine 0.5 mg (3 to 4 times per day according to weight) (27 participants, cross‐over design)
Intervention 2
B: placebo (3 to 4 times per day) (27 participants, cross‐over design)
Co‐interventions: none
Duration of treatment: 8 weeks
Outcomes No primary or secondary outcome pre‐specified
  • Score (resolved/improved/unchanged/worsened) according to pustule formation, redness, and scaling

  • Side effects

Notes Funding: not reported
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Unclear risk Quote: "The patients received Tablet A for four weeks and Tablet B for another four weeks"
Comment: insufficient information about the sequence generation process to permit judgement
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Comment: no information on method to guarantee allocation concealment
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Quote: "double‐blind placebo‐controlled. Drugs were added to placebo to give a bitter taste equal to tablets with colchicine"
Comment: we consider blinding at low risk for trial vs placebo with no obvious clinical adverse events or known specific taste of experimental drug
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Quote: "double‐blind placebo‐controlled"
Comment: we consider blinding at low risk for trial vs placebo with no obvious clinical adverse events or known specific taste of experimental drug
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Quote: "One patient received colchicine, but not placebo"
Comment: only 1 dropout in the placebo group
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk Comment: no protocol found to guarantee that all planned outcomes are presented in the results