Community-acquired pneumonia conveys a high human and financial burden. Few therapeutic progresses have been made since the introduction of penicillin. Improving the prognosis by controlling the host inflammatory response is a biologically sound strategy, which has proved its efficacy in some respiratory and infectious diseases. Adjunction of corticosteroids to antibiotic treatment has been tested in a few controlled studies. However, results are not indicative of any clinical benefit. We present a critical review of the available literature.