Cilostazol Effects after Lower Extremity Revascularization. Historical Background and Review of the Literature.

Cilostazol is a selective cyclic inhibitor of the 3-phosphodiesterase type (PDE3) that is recommended to be administered in cases of symptomatic peripheral vascular disease (YEI). It was discovered as a chemical compound in the 1980s, in Takao Nishi laboratory in Japan. The purpose of the present review was to evaluate the efficacy of cilostazol administration in a YEI with intermittent claudication or moderate to severe lower extremity ischemia. A systematic review of the literature was carried out where articles were searched in the international database PubMed. The year 2005 was set as a time limit for the publication date of the articles. The following keywords were used: cilostazol, peripheral arterial disease, revascularization and lower limb. A total of 95 articles were found, of which only 10 were selected for the present study. According to the results of the current review, the use of cilostazol increases the ability to walk, improves the quality of life, reduces the rates of re-narrowing of vessels and stents, reduces the likelihood of amputation and is co-administered with other antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents. Cilostazol administration should be a possible treatment option for symptomatic YEI. Further research is necessary to determine its safety after three years.