SHORT-TERM ORAL PENTOXIFYLLINE USE INCREASES CHOROIDAL BLOOD-FLOW IN PATIENTS WITH AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Objective: To study the ocular hemodynamic effects of a 3-month oral t reatment with pentoxifylline in patients with nonexudative age-related macular degeneration. Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, rando mized, parallel group study. Setting: Outpatient clinic of the Departm ent of Ophthalmology, Vienna University, Vienna, Austria, that special izes in age-related macular degeneration. Methods: Forty patients with age-related macular degeneration received pentoxifylline (400 mg 3 ti mes a day orally, n=20) or placebo (n=20) for 3 months. Retinal blood flow was assessed by scanning laser Doppler flowmetry and pulsatile ch oroidal blood flow was assessed by laser interferometric measurement o f fundus pulsation amplitude. Main Outcome Measures: Changes in retina l blood Row and fundus pulsation amplitude. Results: Four patients rec eiving pentoxifylline and 3 patients receiving placebo discontinued me dication because of nausea. In the remaining subjects, the use of pent oxifylline increased ocular fundus pulsation amplitude (P<.001 vs plac ebo and baseline). The maximum increase was 28% after 3 months. In con trast, retinal blood flow was not changed by the use of pentoxifylline . Conclusions: A 3-month course of oral pentoxifylline treatment incre ases choroidal but not retinal blood flow in patients with age-related macular degeneration. These data strongly support the concept that pe ntoxifylline might be useful in the treatment of age-related macular d egeneration. Long-term clinical outcome trials are now warranted to te st this hypothesis.