To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Pentoxifylline Effective In Treating HIV-Related Skin Condition URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/7E422.htm Doctor's Guide May 22, 1998
SCHAUMBURG, IL -- May 22, 1998 -- A drug used in the treatment of arterial disease has been found to be an effective treatment for pruritic papular eruption (PPE) of HIV-infected persons, according to a study published in the June 1988 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. "Pentoxifylline is a safe and effective treatment of pruritus in HIV-infected patients," said related Brian Berman, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Miami School of Medicine's department of dermatology and cutaneous surgery. PPE, a severe itchy and pimple-like condition, is a common skin disease associated with HIV infection that appears on the lower extremities. "Pruritus [itching] associated with PPE is severe, unremitting, unresponsive to traditional antipruritic medicine and often incapacitating by making patients unable to sleep," Dr. Berman explained. Eleven of the original 12 patients completing the eight-week study were placed on a regimen of oral pentoxifylline. The degree of pruritis, both before and after therapy, was measured by a patient-reported analog scale, ranging from 0 (none) to 10 (worst experienced). A global assessment of the number and size of PPE lesions was performed and serum TNF and triglyceride levels, as well as HIV viral load, were measured. Results include a reduction in pruritis for 10 of the 11 patients, ranging from 22.6 percent to 87.3 percent and the global assessment of PPE lesions decreased from baseline in most patients and increased slightly in one individual. "Future controlled studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this treatment," he noted. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.