The effect of pentoxifylline on red cell deformability in cerebrovascular accidents.

A study was carried out in 49 recent cerebrovascular accident (CVA) patients to compare red cell deformability in this group with that in 65 healthy controls. Deformability was determined using a standard technique for measuring blood filtration time through a micropore filter. Filtration time was shown to be significantly reduced in the CVA patients. All patients had ACTH treatment, 28 of them receiving in addition 600 mg pentoxifylline per day, either by intravenous infusion or by intramuscular injection. After 2-weeks' treatment, red cell deformability was increased in the patients treated with pentoxifylline and ACTH and was unchanged in the 21 patients receiving only ACTH (p less than 0.001). The authors discuss the role of increased red cell deformability in the clinical prognosis of the patients.