title: Treatment of vascular inner ear disease in vascular patients with pentoxifylline: a controlled, randomized trial.
abstract: The efficacy of Pentoxifylline in vascular inner ear disease (VIED) was studied comparing PXF and placebo in a 4-week study; 40 patients with vascular disease and monolateral loss of hearing, vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus (analyzed with an analogue scale line), and cochlear flow reduction were included. The aims of the study were to study the effects of PXF (1600 mg daily) in VIED considering clinical outcome and cochlear flow. Of the 20 included patients, 19 completed the study. One dropout in the placebo group was due to low compliance. Intention-to-treat analysis indicated an improvement in cochlear flow (p<0.05) and a decrease in score in both groups. The cochlear flow increase was 287.5% in the PXF group vs 168% in the placebo group (119.5% difference; p<0.02). There was a difference in score decrease (44.1% larger) in the PXF group (p<0.05).Between-group analysis favors PXF considering blood flow and symptoms. Results indicate good efficacy and tolerability of PXF in VIED.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chieti University and San Valentino Vascular Screening Project, Pe, Italy.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cesarone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Incandela
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Belcaro
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geroulakos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramaswami
mesh_terms: D003051:Cochlea / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D018056:Hemorheology / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D010431:Pentoxifylline