This review summarises the available randomised controlled trials
of pentoxifylline or propentofylline in acute ischaemic stroke. A
non-significant reduction in early case fatality was apparent for
patients randomised to pentoxifylline or propentofylline although
the confidence interval was wide reflecting the low numbers of
patients studied such that these methylxanthines could equally
reduce the odds of short-term case fatality by 59% or increase it
by 2%.
One trial compared pentoxifylline and aspirin with aspirin alone
and found a significant (P < 0.002) 90% decrease in short-term
mortality (Chan 1993); this same trial studied early death or deterioration
and found this combined outcome to be non-significantly
reduced. The Huber trial of 30 patients studied late case
fatality (less than one year) following propentofylline treatment
and found no difference between the treatment groups (Huber
1993).
Only one trial administered pentoxifylline within 12 hours (Hsu
1988); the other trials delayed drug administration until laterwhen