title: Combination therapy including pentoxifylline for entero-Behçet's disease.
abstract: Behçet's disease is a chronic relapsing vasculitis characterized by recurrent aphthous oral and genital ulcerations with uveitis. Multiple organs can be involved. Entero-Behçet's disease is often uncontrollable, relapsing, and can cause acute intestinal bleeding or perforation. We utilized a combination therapy including 600 mg of pentoxifylline per day, in two doses, to treat three female patients and observed the subsequent changes in clinical symptoms, serum C reactive protein levels, and endoscopic findings. In all three patients, clinical symptoms as well as serum C reactive protein levels improved immediately. Endoscopically, lower intestinal lesions were significantly reduced or healed in all of them. Combination therapy including pentoxifylline appears to be clinically effective in the patients with entero-Behçet's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ichikawa General Hospital, Tokyo Dental College, 5-11-13, Sugano, Ichikawa, Chiba 272-8513, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisamatsu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kishikawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D012460:Sulfasalazine; D011239:Prednisolone; D010431:Pentoxifylline