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Peter L. Sonkin, MD; Larry W. Kelly; Stephen H. Sinclair, MD; Diane L. Hatchell, PhD

Arch Ophthalmol. 1993;111(12):1647-1652.

Abstract
Objective
The purpose of this study was to determine whether oral pentoxifylline would improve retinal microvascular hemodynamics and blood rheology in patients with diabetes.

Design
Patients were enrolled in a double-masked, placebocontrolled trial of pentoxifylline at 2000 mg/d. Retinal capillary blood velocity and leukocyte density, filterability, viscosity, and fibrinogen content were measured by the bluefield entoptic phenomenon simulation, filtration, rotational viscosimetry, and heat precipitation techniques, respectively, before, during, and after drug therapy.

Results
Treatment with pentoxifylline resulted in a 23.2%, 26.8%, and 37.8% increase in capillary blood flow velocity at 1, 2, and 3 months of therapy, respectively, with a return to pretreatment baseline levels 1 month after cessation of therapy. There were no apparent effects on the remaining variables during treatment.

Conclusion
Pentoxifylline increases retinal capillary blood flow velocity in patients with diabetes.

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Ophthalmology and Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, and Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC (Drs Sonkin and Hatchell and Mr Kelly), and Department of Ophthalmology, Hahnemann University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa (Dr Sinclair). Dr Sonkin is currently a resident in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. The authors have no personal or financial interests in the materials or methods used in this study.

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