Blood fluidity and coagulation phenomena in chronic arterial occlusive disease.

Blood fluidity depends on a number of factors of which especially the deformability of erythrocytes is of importance. Investigations reported in this paper have revealed an interdependence between blood fluidity and coagulability of blood. They confirm the significance of maintaining red cells deformability if an adequate microcirculation is to be provided in patients with occlusive vascular disease. High doses of oral pentoxifylline are able to improve erythrocyte flow rates in patients with occlusive vascular disorder. This agent also decreases platelet hyper-reactivity, a factor of importance in arresting the arteriosclerotic progression. In addition the hypercoagulability existing in such patients is reduced and the fibrinolytic system stimulated by treatment with the drug.