Hemorheologic treatment of cerebral reversible ischemic episodes with pentoxifylline--a prospective study.
One hundred patients (49 males, 51 females) with reversible neurologic deficit due to cerebral ischemia of vascular origin in the carotid artery territory were recruited for a long-term observation to follow up recurrence of ischemic events. Fifty-eight patients (mean age sixty-four years) were treated daily with 1200 mg oral pentoxifylline in addition to basic therapy (antihypertensives, antidiabetic drugs, etc), and 42 matching patients (mean age sixty-two years) of a control group had no pentoxifylline or other hemorheologic medication. The mean observation period was fifty-six months (range thirty-six to sixty). On admission patients presented with increased platelet aggregation and/or impaired red cell filterability and with enhanced red cell aggregation. Five patients in the pentoxifylline group (8.6%) and 16 control patients (38%) suffered a relapse of an ischemic episode. These data support previous reports of a beneficial effect of pentoxifylline in the prevention of cerebral ischemic events.
Ott
E
E
Department of Neurology, University of Graz, Austria.
Körner
E
E
Lechner
H
H
D000368:Aged; D001775:Blood Circulation; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D012008:Recurrence; D013805:Theobromine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D013805:Theobromine; D010431:Pentoxifylline