Oxypentifylline in the management of recurrent aphthous oral ulcers - An open clinical trial

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of oxype ntifylline in the treatment of recurrent oral aphthous ulcers and to compar e the results with those of previous studies. Study design. A 6-week open trial and a patient survey regarding pain were conducted at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, City General Hospital , Carlisle. Twenty-four patients (11 male and 13 female) were selected from sequential referrals involving complaints of recurrent oral ulcers. A 2-we ek pretrial period was used to record data pertaining to the occurrence, du ration, and pain associated with ulcers. A 4-week period of treatment with oxypentifylline (400 mg administered orally 3 times daily) was followed by an assessment of improvement at the end of 6 weeks. Results. The results were comparable to those of previous studies, with pos itive responses seen in 63.6% of male patients and 61.5% of female patients . However, recurrence of ulcers was noted in ail patients once the drug was discontinued. This was attributed to the small size of the patient sample studied and to the relatively short duration of treatment. No significant s ide effects were noted. Conclusions. Double-blind, controlled studies are indicated for a definitiv e assessment of the efficacy of oxypentifylline in the management of recurr ent oral aphthous ulcers. The encouraging results of this study support the suggestion that the use of oxypentifylline be considered in refractory cas es of recurrent oral aphthous ulcers.