Cerebral blood flow in patients with cerebrovascular disorders: study with pentoxifylline

Twenty outpatients (8 women and 12 men; age range 52-66 years) with mild to moderate degree of cerebrovascular disorders and arteriosclerotic dementia, were randomly assigned to either control or pentoxifylline group (400 mg X 3/day/4 weeks p.o.). Measurements of cerebral blood flow (133Xe) show in the right hemisphere of the treated group a significant increase of fast perfused brain substance flow (Fg) in 7 out of the 10 cases and in the left hemisphere in 4 patients. In none of all treated subjects a significant reduction of mean Fg was observed. In the control group significant increase in 1 and significant reduction in another out of 20 hemispheres was observed. As for regional data, while significant elevation of Fg was observed in 36.7% of all recorded areas (114 out of 311) after pentoxifylline, this occurred only in 6.4% in the control group. The effect of pentoxifylline on cerebral perfusion in the different areas was independent of their location but was more pronounced in hypoperfused tissue.