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Functional vascular disorders: treatment with pentoxifylline.
Angiology
|August 1, 1987
Summary
Pentoxifylline treatment improved blood flow and symptoms in patients with primary Raynaud
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Primary Raynaud's syndrome affects peripheral circulation.
- Vasospasm in Raynaud's leads to symptoms like asphyxia attacks, pain, and color changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of pentoxifylline in treating primary Raynaud's syndrome.
- To assess pentoxifylline's effects on hemorheology and clinical symptoms.
Main Methods:
- 11 female patients with primary Raynaud's received 1200 mg of pentoxifylline daily for two months.
- Hemodynamics, red blood cell deformability, clotting variables, and clinical symptoms were measured before and after treatment, with and without cold exposure.
Main Results:
- 7 out of 11 patients showed improved peripheral blood flow and reduced symptoms.
- Significant improvements in red blood cell filtration (35% basal, 30% cold-exposed) were observed.
- Positive changes included increased antithrombin III and decreased plasma fibrinogen.
Conclusions:
- Pentoxifylline treatment demonstrated clinical and instrumental benefits in primary Raynaud's syndrome.
- Improved microcirculatory flow, attributed to enhanced red blood cell deformability and reduced fibrinogen, likely underlies the observed improvements.