Table III.

Results from the SCCS analysis for the use of oral glucocorticoid and risk of different types of VTE during the glucocorticoid treatment period. A total of 363 patients with a first VTE from the MEGA Study (the Netherlands, 1999–2004) received at least one outpatient prescription of oral glucocorticoids and were included in the SCCS analysis.

Type of VTE (n = 363)	IRR (95% CI)
DVT only (n = 182)	3·89 (2·45; 6·03)
PE ± DVT (n = 181)	3·11 (2·01; 4·86)
Unprovoked (n = 103)	2·44 (1·33; 4·72)
Provoked (n = 241)	4·16 (2·90; 6·02)
Provoked without malignancy (n = 147)	5·03 (3·08; 8·23)

CI, confidence interval; DVT, deep vein thrombosis; IRR, incidence rate ratio; MEGA study, Multiple Environmental and Genetic Assessment of Risk Factors for Venous Thrombosis Case‐Control Study; PE, pulmonary embolism; SCCS, self‐controlled case series; VTE, venous thromboembolism.

Provoked VTE was considered if: malignancy, trauma/surgery/ immobilisation, plaster cast, oestrogen use, pregnancy/puerperium, travel >4 h; Unprovoked VTE was considered if no risk factor was present at the time of the event. We considered VTE provoked by malignancy if there was a diagnosis of neoplasia in the 5 years prior to the first VTE event. Data on malignancy was missing in four patients.