Pentoxifylline for the treatment of venous leg ulcers: an evidence-based review

Abstract

Aim: To review the evidence for the efficacy and safety of pentoxifylline for the treatment of venous leg ulcers. Data sources: The MEDLINE database and the following evidence based medical sites: National Guideline Clearinghouse, Canadian Medical Association Practice Guidelines InfoBase, Guidelines Finder, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness – Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Bandolier, and The Cochrane Library. Review methods: Clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials published between January 2003 and July 2015 in English, Portuguese and Spanish were collected using the MeSH terms: pentoxifylline and venous ulcers. The Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) scale of the American Academy of Family Physicians was used for assigning levels of evidence and the strength of recommendation. Results: Of the 51 articles found, six fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were selected for review. These included two clinical guidelines, one meta-analysis, one systematic review, and two clinical trials. A 400mg tablet of pentoxifylline taken three times a day increases the chance of healing of venous ulcers with or without compression. This drug is also cost effective in the treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers. The majority of adverse effects were gastrointestinal disturbances. Conclusions: These studies found pentoxifylline to be efficacious and cost effective in the treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers in adults. It can be used with compression bandaging but should also be considered for use in people unable to tolerate compression (Strength of Recommendation A – SOR A). Given the side effects reported, the optimal dose that combines efficacy and tolerability with maximal therapeutic adherence remains to be determined.